Sequel to Hidden Consequences: Hidden Threats
by mozartmaid
Summary: Lois got pregnant in the future... just when she and Clark were on their way to wedded bliss, something horrible happens. Joel, their son, is missing.
1. Chapter 1

The wait is over! Here's part 1! I will be posting slower than the other story, simply because I am not as far ahead. But I know you guys are eager to see what happens, so I thought it better to post slowly than not at all. I have 5 and half parts written at this point, and will post judiciously to keep me ahead of things. At the VERY least once a week, and if things get rolling, twice a week. Happy reading!

**Part 1**

It had been years since Lois had been on base. She had forgotten how closely she was watched, how everything and everyone was under surveillance. There were always certain protocols to follow, and lots of 'yes, sir's or 'no, ma'am's. It was a confined, clear as black and white, kind of place.  
No wonder the General loved it here.

Growing up, Lois had been taught that there was a right way and a wrong way, with no shades of gray. She had learned over the years that wasn't always the case, but it always had to appear to the General as so.

She just hoped this was a clear black and white situation in his eyes. She couldn't bear for him to shut her out or judge her one more time…

Lois needed her father's help.

This time, the Blur couldn't swoop in and save the day.

~L&C~

_Lois stared at Clark for what seemed like minutes._

_"What do you mean, he's gone?" she asked quietly, barely able to breathe._

_Clark sighed and hung his head, not meeting her eyes. "I don't know… but there were tire tracks in the driveway—"_

_"He's gotta be somewhere on the farm, Clark. Surely he just got out of his crib and—" she said logically, feeling her grasp of the possibilities edging out of her with every word._

_Clark held up the tiny giraffe, his eyes eloquent with sorrow. "I don't know how he'd make it to the end of the driveway on his own, Lois… Someone definitely took him."_

_Lois stood up, gripping the back of her chair for strength as she began to see her world crumble around her. "Who would take a baby? And why?"_

_Clark stepped in the room, glancing at Chloe who nodded and quietly left._

_"Lois, we're going to get him back," he said softly. "I promise. We'll figure out who did this and—"_

_Tears were streaming down Lois' face. "How can you hear a fire alarm ten blocks away, but you are unaware that our own son is being kidnapped?" she said deliberately, cruelly. She didn't know why she felt the need to twist the knife deeper into his own heart, but only she felt panicked, and terrified._

_Her comment struck Clark right in the chest, hitting her target with painful aim. "I—I don't know… I was so focused on this being our day. I—"_

_Lois turned from him, wrapping her arms around herself. "I don't understand how this happened. " She whipped around and pointed accusingly at the door. "There is a room full of heroes down there, and not one of them saw or heard anything?"_

_"Lois, please. We'll figure this out," Clark said, trying to sound calm and soothing._

_"Go find him, Clark… " she said heatedly. "Just—go. And don't come back until you've found him," her consonants clipped with anger, driven out of her by her panicked fear._

_Clark nodded curtly, looking hurt, and terribly guilty._

_There was a sudden whoosh out the door, and Lois was alone once more…_

~L&C~

Lois approached her father's office, full of trepidation. It had been almost a month since she had last seen him, since he had accused her of making a horrible mistake. But she needed his help.

Sarah Johnson, Sam Lane's secretary, knew Lois. She gave Lois a surprised greeting.

"Is the General in?" Lois asked, standing up straighter to have the appearance of confidence.

"Yes, Miss Lane. But I didn't know he was expecting you."

"He's not. But he is my father. I'm thinking that should get me some pull around here, right?" Lois said, making a move towards the general's office.

Sarah smiled and lifted her phone to announce Lois in the Sam Lane's office, but Lois lifted her hand. "Please, don't tell him I'm here. Can I just walk in?"

Sarah seemed to war with herself over protocol, but then she saw something in Lois' expression that eventually allowed her to wave Lois in the office with just a gesture.

Lois squared her shoulders and took a deep breath. She had to do this. For Joel.

~L&C~

_The farmhouse was empty except for Chloe taking down the wedding decorations and putting everything back in order._

_Lois lay on the sofa in sweatpants and a t-shirt, still in her bridal up-do and makeup. She stared down at her cellphone, waiting for a call from Clark. Since he left with the other heroes, she hadn't heard anything from him._

_"I told him not to come back until he finds Joel," Lois murmured forlornly._

_Chloe paused in putting away the dishes and stood in the living room. "I'm sure he'll call or come back soon, Lois. He knows you didn't really mean it."_

_"But I did when I said it," Lois said, glancing up at her cousin, tears in her eyes. "I know it wasn't Clark's fault, but I all but blamed him, Chloe. And all I want is for him to walk through that door right now… even if he hasn't found Joel—and hold him, and let him hold me."_

_Chloe sat down on the sofa beside Lois. "It will be all right, Lois. The whole team is on the case. We have the best resources in the world at our disposal. They will find him."_

_"But will Clark come back if they don't?" _

_"He will, Lois. Of course he will," Chloe answered confidently. _

_"Do you think we were right not to call the police? I mean, I know our guys can handle a lot, but what if—"_

_"Lois, you can't run yourself in circles. Something will turn up. I'm sure of it."_

~L&C~

The General was facing the window, chewing on a stogie. Lois had encouraged him to quit smoking, but he loved the taste of tobacco too much.

She cleared her throat, suddenly feeling it tight with tears. She needed her father right now, and she couldn't help the trembling inside if he rejected her again, and chose not to help her.

"General—" she said, trying to sound strong, except the word tripped out much softer than she intended.

She saw his back straighten and heard him sigh. "What are you doing here, Lois?" he asked, still facing the window.

"You know I wouldn't be here unless I had no other choice. Someone's kidnapped Joel."

He turned around and set the stogie on his desk. He set his palms on the edge and stared down at his shoes as he thought a moment.

Lois wasn't sure if he was about to lash out at her, so she very hesitantly made her way over to him. "Daddy, please—"

He stood up again and then walked over to a filing cabinet. He did some quick shifting through files, and then pulled one out. Sam walked over to his daughter and tossed the file onto his desk, spilling half of its contents.

"I had that Clark Kent of yours investigated, Lois."

She looked up at him, trying to stem her anger to hear him out.

"I couldn't find anything… except when I dug a little deeper, and looked at his circle of friends. You are mixed up with a vigilante, Lois. I'd start there," he said with a curt nod to the folder.

"You had Clark investigated and you think he is responsible for the kidnapping of his own son?" she asked slowly, shocked.

"All I'm saying is I wouldn't put so much faith in him."

"Well, if I should investigate my own fiancé, then can you give me access to that folder?" she asked angrily, mad at herself for even thinking her father would be of help.

"You know I can't do that, Lois," he said, gathering the contents and putting the folder back in the cabinet.

Lois carefully noted where he put it; it might be useful in the future.

She pursed her lips, her arms akimbo as she seethed with hurt and anger. "So that's it. That's all the help you'll give me in looking for my son? Accusing Clark?"

The General picked up his stogie and turned once more to the window, crossing his arms behind his back.

She was about to spin out of there on her heel, but the General glanced back towards her, over his shoulder.

"Lois, I do hope you find my grandson."

She turned and left the office, breaking into a near run as she passed the secretary's desk.

Lois had to get off base before anyone saw her tears.

~L&C~

_Clark returned around 4 AM the morning after Joel's disappearance. He and Bart had run around Smallville and the nearby area, scouring for a clue. When none turned up, they all had headed to Watchtower, to see if they could find any trace of Joel._

_"It's like he just—disappeared," Clark said forlornly._

_Oliver was trying to access street cameras. "We need Chloe here. I'm not that good at this."_

_Clark sighed. "Lois needs her right now. We can do this, Oliver. Surely there's a clue out there somewhere."_

_But hours of scouring video footage didn't turn up anything. Eventually AC suggested that they wait for a ransom notice of some kind."If it is a kidnapping—I mean, what else would they want from a baby?"  
he said logically._

_They all agreed to call it quits for now, and to see if anything turned up in the morning. _

_Except Clark couldn't give up. He was tired, but he was more heartsick. The look of utter fear and disappointment in Lois' eyes was burned into his brain. He couldn't return to her without any answers, without any clues._

_Still, he needed to see her. He wanted desperately to hold her, for them both to shore each other up for the difficult days ahead. _

_Clark breezed back to the farm. The house was dark, and he hoped that meant Lois was asleep. He stepped inside, and found Chloe asleep on the couch. At least Lois hadn't been all alone all night. Oliver was right that they could have used Chloe, but she was more needed here._

_Quietly, Clark blurred upstairs, so as not to make any noise._

_Lois was asleep in their bed. He saw Joel's toy giraffe on her nightstand, and knew she had probably taken hours to get to sleep, worried about their son. Clark approached the bed quietly, though he didn't want to disturb her. She needed her strength._

_Ever so gently, he leaned down and gave her brow a kiss. "I'll find him, Lois. I promise," he whispered._  
_Then he blurred away into the night, to keep looking for any trace of their lost son._

_Lois stirred with the sudden gust in the air and her eyes fluttered open. "Clark?" she called out, but heard no answering reply._

_A pain twisted in her chest as she settled herself back under the covers._

_He hadn't come home._

_It had only been a dream…_

~L&C~

Lois needed to get to that file. She had to know what her father had discovered about Clark. She didn't believe that the General was behind Joel's kidnapping, but if anyone had read Clark's file, they might be interested in taking his son.

Lois only hesitated a moment before heading to Watchtower.

She hadn't stepped foot there since before the wedding, and after—she hadn't wanted to get in Clark's way.

~L&C~

_Lois barely slept the next few days. Chloe stayed by her side as much as possible, but who she really longed for – she couldn't bear to call him, not after what she said to him._

_She knew Clark was probably wracked with guilt, and yet, there was a part of her that thought it would only make him that much more determined to find their son. And the fact that she thought that, made her feel even more guilty – because it would keep Clark away._

_She refused to eat, but at least she didn't have to work, as she had been given a week off after the wedding to celebrate._

_Except everywhere she looked, there was desolation._

_Martha had tried to reason with her, and encouraged her to call Clark, but Lois was too wrapped up in her own guilt for sending him away. She simply felt nauseated every time she thought about it – or the fact that her son was out there, somewhere…_

_About a week after Joel's disappearance, Lois had sat up late by herself, going over recent events and even digging into her old stories, to see if there was anyone who'd want to do her harm._

_She was shocked by how long the list actually was… But how many had known about Joel?_

_Not many, and that reduced the list significantly._

_Tess, perhaps?_

_Or her father…_

_She couldn't believe that her father would do something so heinous as to kidnap his own grandson. But Tess? Lois wouldn't put it past her. She knew that Tess had been very interested in what had happened to Lois in the future… Might she kidnap their son to learn more about Clark?_

_The more Lois chewed on that thought, the more she was convinced that Tess had something to do with it. Who else had the capacity to manage kidnapping a baby so stealthily and not even leave a trace?_

_Lois sighed, glancing at the clock. It was after two in the morning… she should get some sleep and confront Tess in the morning._

_Lois heard a whoosh of wind on the porch, and instinctively called out, "Clark?" her heart racing, hoping he had returned._

_She quickly raced to the porch, hoping he was there. Lois flipped the porch light on and called his name out again, "Clark! Are you out here?"_

_The air was perfectly still outside, and she knew she had heard a gust of wind slam the door in its frame. It had to be Clark._

_A sad smile crept over her lips, as she recalled a time when she would long for these kinds of encounters with the Blur… but now, all she felt was pain and regret._

_"Clark? If you're out there, I'm sorry," she said, sitting down on the porch steps. "Please, Clark… please come home…"_

_She waited on the steps for a few moments, practically holding her breath, hoping he'd step out of the shadows._

_She was tempted to accuse him of cowardice, for not facing her, for not facing their mistakes together. But she didn't want anger between them. She was too bereft for that…_

_Lois stood up to head back into the house, casting her gaze once more around her. "Clark… come home," she whispered. "I need you."_

_~L&C~_

_Lois burst into Tess' office the next day._

_"What have you done with my son?" she asked forcefully._

_Tess glanced up from something she was reading and sat back in her chair. "What are you talking about, Lois?"_

_"I mean, I think you kidnapped my son! He's been missing almost a week, Tess! You're the only one I know with enough vindictiveness and resources to do it. So tell me, where is he?"_

_For once, Tess didn't look smug. She looked worried. Tess crossed the room, and shut her office door, hoping no one had heard Lois' accusatory tirade._

_"Lois, have a seat," she said calmly._

_Without Tess to spar with her, Lois' bluster diffused, and she took a seat._

_Tess settled back into her chair. "Have you heard of the Vigilante Registration Act, Lois?" Tess asked, lacing her fingers, as she leaned forward._

_"Yes. But what does that have to do with my son being missing? Tess, I really am not here to play games," Lois started, feeling herself heat up again._

_"No, I'd wager you aren't," Tess answered practically. "I can't imagine what you must be going through… and Clark? Where's he?"_

_Lois glanced away. "He's—looking for Joel."_

_"Lois, I'm going to level with you, because I know you want your son back. I—know some things, about Clark," she started._

_Lois' glanced smacked into Tess'. "What do you mean, 'know some things?'" Lois pressed cautiously._

_"I think you know very well what I am talking about… and, I think that Clark is a likely target of the VRA, since he is a vigilante—sympathizer," Tess answered carefully._

_"If that is even remotely true, why would they go after his child?"_

_Tess was silent, debating how many cards to keep to her chest. "Lois, I think you can put two and two together. I've given you the bread crumbs. You figure it out."_

_~L&C~_

_Lois had mulled over what Tess had said to her all day._

_She had come to one conclusion which she wasn't happy to admit. She would have to go see the General. He knew about the VRA. But what's more, if it was the VRA, and they were targeting Clark's son – they had to know that Clark wasn't human. And that bit of knowledge, terrified Lois._


	2. Chapter 2

_It seemed like hours before Clark could draw breath again and not feel a twisting pain in his chest. He had left the farmhouse, determined to find whoever had his son. He was horrified to be confronted with no clues, no real trace of anyone that he could follow._

His helpless little boy had simply disappeared.

He couldn't face Lois, not after the way she had blamed him. He simply couldn't go back to her with no evidence, no lead to follow-up on.

He would stay away until something turned up. Anything.

Surely, they couldn't hide from him forever…

But as the days went by, the trail grew colder. It was almost as if Joel had vanished off the planet. Even all of Watchtower's technology couldn't bring him any closer to finding his son.

And Lois…

Clark would go to the farmhouse, needing to see her, wanting to hold her. But he would feel rebuked by the memory of his failure, of the absolute torture he saw in Lois' face when he had given her the horrible news…

He longed to hold her, and to work this out together. But he wasn't sure he would be welcome. He needed a lead, something to prove to her that he had this under control.

But that didn't mean he stayed away entirely… he would blur into the farmhouse, to watch her sleep or to see how she was getting on. At times, it appeared that she didn't need him. And he knew she had Chloe…at other times, her vulnerability cut him to his heart.

But the guilt and shame for having failed to protect his son would wash over him, and he'd simply whoosh away, and vanish in the night… searching ever desperately for a trace of his son.

~L&C~

Lois had been to Watchtower a lot over the last few months, up until the wedding. Even when she had been exhausted from work, she had always been happy to see Joel. Picking up her son was usually the highlight of her day, seeing his smile would always make whatever concerns she had that day vanish.

But now, he was out there somewhere… a defenseless baby. Who knew what whoever took him wanted with him? She hoped they didn't know about his true origins, as Tess had at hinted earlier. Who knows what kind of experiments they would do on her poor, innocent boy…

Lois pulled herself out of her darker thoughts to give her passcode to Watchtower's security system. The elevator moved up a few more floors and then opened.

Lois fought the sadness coming over her, knowing she'd see the little baby corner Chloe had set up for Joel. She braced herself as she opened the doors—

Chloe was standing in front of the main computer, but stopped what she was doing when she heard Lois come in.

"Lois! How are you holding up?" her cousin asked, giving her a hug.

Lois' eyes fell on the little baby corner, and she found that she couldn't speak a moment. Chloe moved into her line of sight and met her gaze. "Lois, I left it all there on purpose. Because we're going to get Joel back, okay? It's there for when we get him back," she reiterated, smoothing her hand down Lois' arm.

"So, any progress?" Lois asked, her eyes still bright with unshed tears.

"Um, no, not really," Chloe said sadly. "How about on your end?"

Lois nodded, clearing her throat. "Yeah, kinda. I—went to see the General."

Chloe appeared speechless a moment. "After what happened? Why?"

"Because… " Lois braced herself to continue. "Because the General is a supporter of the VRA. The—"

"—Vigilante Registration Act. I've done my homework on that front, too," Chloe sighed. "So? Was he any help?"

"No," Lois shook her head. "Chloe, he even had Clark investigated. I need to find Clark. We need to get that folder. If they know the truth about him—What if it was someone tied to the VRA who took Joel?"

A sudden whoosh of wind shifted focus to the nearby doors. "Chloe, I've looked into that—" Clark began, but then paused when he saw Lois.

She felt like her jacket was all that was holding her together in that moment. Her eyes met Clark's and his gaze slammed into hers, hitting her in the chest. "Hi, Smallville," she got out in an airy whisper.

"Lois, I—" he began, the guilt and hurt all over his face. "I still haven't found him," he admitted softly.

Lois' eyes welled up with tears. "I'm so sorry, Clark," she said, stepping a little closer to him.

"Lois, it was my fault. I should have—"

She shook her head, moving towards him as he stepped closer to her. And suddenly, they were like magnets and in each other's arms.

Lois held him to her, sobs muffled in his shirt. "I'm sorry, Clark. I shouldn't have said—"

"It doesn't matter, Lois. I'm here. It doesn't matter," he said soothingly, relief evident in his voice.

Eventually, she pulled slightly out of his embrace to look at him and wipe her eyes.

"I have so much to tell you and I don't know where to begin," Lois said, her hands resting on Clark's biceps. "I was just so afraid that I had said too much. And I never meant for you to go away—"

"Lois, I'm at fault too." He sighed. "Let's just put it behind us and focus on what happened to our son."

Lois nodded and stepped out of his embrace, wiping her eyes. "Right. Well, before you whooshed in here, I was telling Chloe what I found out…Clark, I went to the General. I didn't know who else to turn to, and Tess gave me a lead—"

"Tess?" Clark asked curiously, ignoring the fact that Lois had gone to see General Lane.

"Clark, my dad had you investigated by the Pentagon," Lois admitted. "And I fear how much he knows about you."

"All right, well, we knew he wasn't exactly a fan of mine," Clark said testily. "But what does that have to do with Joel?"

"Depending on how deep he dug… Clark, he seemed to believe that you are a vigilante. And who knows what else he knows… I think someone involved with the VRA learned something about you through my father's investigation, and that someone may have Joel," Lois finally got out, her arms crossed as she waited for Clark's reaction.

He sighed heavily. "You think your father knows I'm the Blur?"

"I'm not sure how much he knows. But Clark, we need to get that folder. We need to know what he knows, what the government knows about you."

Chloe suddenly turned back to her computer. "I can try and hack into some government computers and see if I can pull anything up on you, Clark. But Lois is right. We need to see that folder."

~L&C~

Clark glanced sidelong at Lois as they headed to her car. He felt an apology welling up inside him again, but suppressed it. Instead, he sighed heavily.

She seemed focused on getting into the car, and avoided looking at him. "You don't have to ride with me, you know. I can just meet you back at the farm," she suggested.

"I think the ride will do us some good, Lois. Besides, I've missed you."

She flashed him a tremulous smile, which just as quickly disappeared as she ducked into the driver's seat. She waited until he was seated next to her before she said, "I've missed you, too, Smallville."

They were silent while she drove out of the parking garage and onto Metropolis' busy streets. Lois glanced down at the radio, biting her lip, and Clark wondered if she was tempted to turn it on to break the awkward silence in the car.

"Do you really think the VRA has Joel?" Clark asked eventually, mainly to end the silence, but also because it was the fear weighing heaviest on his heart.

"I don't know for sure. But I do know that he disappeared without a trace, which sounds like special ops, military. Clark, he could be anywhere…" she said forlornly.

He reached for her free hand, relieved when she didn't pull away.

"We will find him, Lois. We just need to first figure out how much your father knows about me… and if anyone else knows anything. It's the only lead that makes any sense."

Lois nodded, pulling out onto the highway and settling back into her seat. "Yeah. And that's what worries me."

Another long pause in the car, as guilt settled over Clark once more. "Do you regret it at all, Lois? I mean, I know you don't remember it all, but do you regret it?"

His question was ambiguous enough – she could include everything from meeting him to having Joel in that question if she wanted to.

"Not a minute of it, Clark. Not one," she said in a low voice, reaching across to squeeze his hand.

"I'm sorry I stayed away—"

"Shh… enough apologies, okay? We both made our mistakes… what we need now is each other. So let's find him and bring him home. What do you say, partner?"

God, he loved her... She glanced at him, and he got only a glimpse of those soft hazel eyes that enchanted him, that read him like a book and slammed him in the chest on a daily basis. She wouldn't give up on him… and he was deeply thankful.

"Let's find our son."

~L&C~

"Why do I always get the stealth jobs in places where I can get shot?" Oliver complained into his walkie talkie.

Chloe laughed lightly on the other end. "You know you got good back-up… But seriously, be careful, Ollie."

"I'd prefer it if this was the last military facility I break into for a while… I have a feeling that Uncle Sam is not going to look kindly on us if the VRA passes," Oliver said, glancing around a corner. "You're sure you disarmed the cameras up here?"

"Yes, but you don't have much time. About thirty seconds to cross the hall into General Lane's office."

"Got it," Oliver said, making his way down the darkened hallway.

Suddenly he heard a whoosh beside him.

"Oliver? What are you doing here?" Clark asked.

"I thought I was doing you a favor… or at least doing Chloe one. But since you're here—you wanna do the honors?" Oliver asked, gesturing towards the locked door. "Just don't leave fingerprints."

Clark nodded and used his shirt tail to grasp the handle.

"Oh no," Chloe said, on the other end at Watchtower.

"What?" Oliver asked, with a heavy note of dread.

"I didn't know General Lane's door had a security alarm on it. You guys have less than twenty seconds to get the hell out of there!"

Clark nodded, and whooshed around to the filing cabinet, where Lois had told him General Lane had placed his folder.

He was careful not to touch anything else, and sped over to Oliver with the folder in hand. "You want to come with me or chance it?" Clark asked.

"Fine. Get me out of here. Just don't carry me like a girl," Oliver said. Clark smirked just before he whisked them away, back to Watchtower.

Oliver stumbled out of Clark's grasp, looking vaguely uncomfortable with the fact that he had to be 'rescued.'

"All right, so what did we get?" Chloe asked.

Clark gestured to a camera shot on Watchtower's computer of General Lane's office. "Were there cameras running in there?" he asked worriedly.

Chloe's brow was wrinkled in concern. "I'm honestly not sure. It seemed to be a passive program, not recording anything, but I can't be positive. We have enough to worry about though, besides whether your pretty mug shots were captured just now."

Clark laid out the contents of the folder, surprised by how much material there was on him.

"They have pictures with me and Kara, in her costume…" he said in dismay, shuffling through the documents.

Lois stepped in just then, rushing over to where they were standing over Clark's folder. "What did I miss? I swear it took forever to cross three blocks of traffic…"

"We got the folder," Chloe said, sliding over so Lois could have a look.

Lois' fingers lightly tapped the contents, one by one, as they were splayed across the table. "I still can't believe the General went behind my back this way," she said sadly.

"There doesn't seem to be much here that's all that incriminating, but I suppose you could draw the right conclusion if you wanted to," Oliver observed. "Maybe the VRA isn't after you, Clark. I know that could mean that Joel—"

"Wait," Lois said, grabbing a thin piece of paper slipped in between two pictures. "This is a request for the file to be taken up with the Department of Domestic Security. And it's signed by my dad and… General Slade Wilson."

"Who's General Wilson?" Chloe asked, even though she simply turned to her computer and typed in the name.

A profile came up almost immediately. Lois listed the highlights from memory. "He's been in the Service almost ten years longer than my dad. He's seriously decorated - if a little unconventional - and would probably be the most privy to classified information about the VRA. But what I don't get is why Dad wanted to dig deeper… There's nothing in this file that shows you've done anything wrong, Clark."

Clark looked at the paper Lois was holding, and pointed to the top line. "Look at the date, Lois. Do you recognize it?"

She gasped slightly. "Oh no… when I was in the hospital, when Zod came to see me. But… why?"

"Something must have tipped them off about the baby – and the fact that it was Clark's. There's apparently been a deeper investigation, if that slip about General Wade is any indication," Chloe interjected practically. "And it also points to the VRA being the most likely candidates to having Joel."

"God, if he's in a military facility somewhere, how will we ever find him?" Lois sighed heavily, falling into a nearby chair.

"What are they doing with a baby in a military compound anyway?" Oliver asked.

"I don't think we want to know," Chloe said in a low tone, gesturing with her chin towards Lois.

"Yeah…. Sorry," Oliver apologized, regretting his remark.

Clark stood next to Lois, resting his hand on her shoulder as he thought what to do. Lois glanced up, looking more determined than worried. "I can go and meet with Slade. I'm a military brat. He'll see me," she said with sudden clarity.

"Lois, is that such a good idea?" Clark cautioned.

"If he has our son, I will find out, Clark. Give me five minutes with him."

~L&C~

Clark and Lois had left almost an hour ago, still arguing over the merits of Lois confronting Slade in person.

Chloe continued to do research on Slade, waiting for Oliver to get back on some Green Arrow business. After her experiences with the Luthors, she knew it was best to know your enemy inside and out. Lois was willing to jump into the water without checking the levels, but Chloe wanted to know how deep they were in it.

All through his military career, Slade had appeared a hero, seeming to stand for what was best about serving the red, white, and blue – at least on the surface. When she dug a bit deeper, Chloe uncovered rumors of war crimes, though he was never charged. Within the last ten months, he seemed to have gotten more radicalized, more vitriolic towards heroes that didn't wear a military uniform. Around six months ago, he appeared on a conservative talk show, and labeled people like Oliver and Clark vigilantes, and the term seemed to stick. All across the media, those who were once called heroes a short while ago, were now deemed as dangerous vigilantes.

And then, the Vigilante Registration Act was born.

But there seemed to be something sinister underlying it all, that Chloe couldn't quite put her finger on. Partly due to Wilson's shady history, but it was more than that. More than just the fact that the Act would ask people like Oliver to reveal who they really were. Gordon Godfrey was another one who had recently turned against the heroes. And Slade Wilson had appeared on his radio talk show just a few months ago.

Chloe searched for a clip of the broadcast.

"_Something has to be done about this hero menace," Godfrey said decisively. "They don't know what true heroes are, do they General?"_

"No, they simply terrorize our cities, while the real heroes go unnoticed."

"Which is why you are supporting the Vigilante Registration Act, correct? To see who is behind these masks."

"Indeed," said Slade. "We don't know what they are capable of. But they are dangerous and must be stopped!"

The insults thrown at heroes got worse from there… but there seemed to be something – dark and evil underlying the tone of everything they said.

Sitting alone in Watchtower, and having observed all kinds of weird phenomena in her day, Chloe suddenly had goose bumps, and it was from something that they said in their short exchange.

She heard something, darker, deeper… Chloe sat up in her chair, her analytical brain going into overdrive while she sent the clip to a sound analyzer on Watchtower's hard drive. She separated out the levels, and noticed in one particular part of the conversation, there was almost a demonic low tone that registered.

The doors of Watchtower swung open, and Chloe nearly fell out of her chair, she was so spooked.

"Whoa, it's just me," Oliver said with a debonair smile, heading over to her. "Hey, what's that look for?"

Chloe backed up the track she had been listening to, and played it, with the levels split so the deeper tone came through. "Did you hear that? Or have I just been playing around with this too long?"

"Yeah, that's definitely weird… but couldn't it just be a sound glitch?"

Chloe nodded. "You would think… but I've been around too long and seen too much weird stuff to just brush it off… there's something… I don't know-unnatural about that sound." Chloe did some more typing, and brought up a map which showed energy spikes around the US. "I know this is going to sound a bit out there, but General Wilson started really harping on heroes about ten months ago… and how old is Joel?"

"Eight months?" Oliver guessed.

"Yes. And two months before he was born—" Chloe did some more typing, bringing up a map of Metropolis with the energy spikes around ten months ago. "Clark sent the Kandorians to another plane of existence… It's happened before, when Clark has opened portals to other worlds - he has let phantoms into ours… But this time, I have a feeling we're dealing with more than just a phantom. Because it's apparently affecting more than one person, and the dark sentiments seem to be spreading," she said, pulling up half a dozen hero-hater websites.

"Look, Chloe, it's late. Maybe you're over thinking this," Oliver said, pulling her around to face him. "Look at it again in the daylight, and if you still think there's something to it, tell Clark in the morning."

Chloe nodded, stepping around Oliver to close the computer windows. "I suppose you're right… I'm just looking out for Clark and Lois… I mean, there's a helpless baby somewhere out there, and I'm just trying to figure out what we're dealing with."

Oliver shed his Green Arrow leather hoodie, leaving him in a tight, black tank top. He turned on the radio, and Maroon 5 came on, singing 'The Way You Look Tonight.' Oliver held out his hand to Chloe with a smile, nodding his head in encouragement to dance with him.

"Come on. Let's forget about life's troubles for a few minutes. What do you say?" he prodded.

After just a moment's hesitation and a small laugh, Chloe rolled her eyes and fell into step with Oliver. "You are a ridiculous romantic, you know that?" she teased.

"I like to think it's one of my finer qualities," he answered, in mock seriousness. He pulled her closer, his smile fading as he stared down at her lips. "I just want you to know I think you're amazing, Chloe Sullivan."

She seemed breathless a moment, allowing herself to get caught up in Oliver's gaze. "You're not so bad either, Mr. Queen," she flirted back, unconsciously biting her lip.

He leaned in, and whispered against her temple. "I know you probably don't want to hear it, but, well, with the business we're in, and not knowing how many tomorrows we may have—"

She pulled back and looked at him, shaking her head. "Ollie, please—"

"Chloe, I never got to tell my parents good-bye. Or say often enough how much I love them… Please, let me have this?"

She eventually settled back into his embrace, slowing down to the smooth tones of the song, laying her head on his shoulder. Chloe allowed herself to close her eyes, and drift with him and the music.

"I love you," was whispered somewhere between the beats of the song, and when it was over, they looked at each other, not sure if or when the other had said it. Yet love was found in each other's eyes. Oliver bent down, ever so slowly, until his lips met hers, just as the song was ending.

"What do you say we head to my place?" he asked, still holding her, still breathless from the kiss.

She nodded, for once, letting caution fly in the wind – and letting herself fall in love.

He was right.

They didn't know how long any of them had…


	3. Chapter 3

Lois tossed and turned in her sleep…

_A baby was crying. It had to be Joel… she began running down a cement hallway, deep in a building somewhere, calling Joel's name, but every door she tried was locked. The hallway was seemingly endless… locked door after locked door… At last, she came to the final door. Through a glass window, she saw someone take Joel through to another room, and she pounded on the glass, screaming._

Then, she noticed Clark was sitting on a small bed, his head in his hands. He looked like he was crying…

Lois felt another cry well up in her, just as someone came from behind her to pull her away…

"Lois, wake up!" Clark cried gently. He had just returned from a patrol, only to find Lois caught in a nightmare. "Shh, Lois, it's okay. I'm here," he said, pulling her into his arms.

"Clark?" she sobbed, still half asleep. "Is that you? They took him away… I saw them. They took him…"

"Lois, it was just a dream. Everything will be fine," Clark said soothingly, his heart feeling crushed in his chest at the sight of Lois so distraught. She began to sit up in bed, glancing up at him with a tear-stained face.

"Clark, it was so real… you were in some sort of prison and I saw them take Joel away…" she said, almost desperately.

"Lois, it was a dream," he said again, but looking at her, he wasn't sure he entirely believed that.

"I just don't know what I'd do if I ever lost both of you," Lois spoke in a rough whisper, wrapping her arms around herself.

"You won't, Lois. I'm right here. And we'll get Joel back. You'll see," he said, folding her in his arms once more.

"I want to believe that too, Clark… I want to believe we'll find him, too."

~L&C~

Clark had reluctantly agreed to let Lois see Slade. He knew he couldn't stop her anyway. They were both so wracked with guilt that he could understand her need to pursue every angle she could think of – he was doing the same thing.

At night, he'd take off across the country, scouring for hidden military facilities or any place that someone who was part of the VRA might want to hide a baby. Some nights he would try to sleep beside Lois, and be jolted awake by a vision of little Joel being treated with different meteor rocks, essentially tortured as they tried to uncover his secrets. That dream, paired with the nightmare Lois had experienced a few nights ago, would send him whooshing out into the darkness, desperate for an answer…

Clark wondered how much Sam Lane knew about him, and whether he knew who had Joel. Clark was tempted several times to question General Lane himself, but he knew it would only make things more complicated for Lois, and confirm any suspicions the General may have had about Clark – and that could just put Joel in even more danger.

Clark thought about how relentlessly the Kents had always protected him, knowing what he would be exposed to if anyone ever learned his secret. And how much more vulnerable was a baby?

The fear tore at him, and made it difficult for him to concentrate during the day. As he did other Blur saves, every single one taunted him. He could save others, but he hadn't been able to protect his own son…

Lois was just as driven as he was. She spent half her time at the Planet, trying to do research on the VRA and planned governmental facilities, especially ones that were either new or recently renovated.

She would leave her research lying around at the farmhouse, and Clark wondered if it wasn't her way of secretly prodding him to check every single one… he took it as so, and thus wasn't home very often.

They hadn't discussed anything about the wedding since Joel disappeared. It seemed to be an unspoken rule between them that they couldn't discuss it until Joel was brought back home safely…

Clark couldn't even contemplate what would happen if he wasn't. He'd never forgive himself, and he wasn't sure Lois would either…

~L&C~

Lois glanced at her watch, knowing the secretary would wait until exactly 11:00 before letting her into Slade's office. She still had six minutes to wait… and obsess.

She had to appear calm, and spout the expected banter she knew that Slade would want to hear. Lois knew how to play the general's daughter; she'd had years of practice. And for years, she had believed whole-heartedly in it all, proud to be her father's daughter.

And she still was proud of him… Yet, with the VRA, there were just a few shades of gray she had never noticed before, just behind the red, white, and blue, and it unnerved her. Who knew what the VRA was really about, and who knew what they wanted to do with heroes like Clark…

Or if they had taken her son. And if they had, what did they want with him?

"Miss Lane?" said the secretary, jolting Lois out of her thoughts. "General Slade will see you now."

Lois hid a smirk, noticing that it was now exactly 11:00. Some things about the military never change.

Lois stepped into the office. "Lois Lane," she said crisply, reaching to shake the General's hand.

"Sam Lane's daughter," he noted, and she stiffened just a bit, a little surprised that he knew exactly who she was. It also made her that much more suspicious of him – what did he know about Joel… and Clark? Slade nodded, letting her into his office. "I always do my homework. Why do you think I gave you clearance?"

_Play it cool, Lois._ "Damn. And here I was thinking I got in here on my wit and charm," she said, trying to sound breezy and confident.

"I see you are not just a Lane in name, but attitude as well," Slade answered, with a hint of admiration in his voice.

"My dad always said I was made of more brass than his medals," she added proudly, knowing that at least that much was true. She took out a small bag, preparing to butter him up. "General, I brought something for you," she said, pulling out a box of Cuban cigars and a bottle of bourbon. Her father had brought them to Jonathan Kent as a gift years ago, though Jonathan hadn't the heart to tell Sam Lane that he didn't smoke or drink. Lois had stumbled upon them in the back of a closet when preparing for the baby to arrive.

"Well, I see that I am not the only one who does their homework," Slade said appreciatively. "Fine bourbon and Cuban Cohibas - my favorite."

Lois smiled, hoping she could get somewhere with him now. All she had to do was add in a touch of the patriotic, and she was sure she could get him to open up more about the VRA. "American made and American won. I don't care what they say - that victory will be ours soon enough."

"Spoken like a true daughter of the red, white, and blue."  
_  
Bingo. Right where I want you._ It was time to make her move. "Speaking of the red, white, and blue -What's really up with the VRA?"

"Your father worked on the registration act, Miss Lane.I'm not sure what more I can tell you," he responded evasively. But at least he didn't seem to know she was on the outs with her father.

"So, how exactly is the VRA supposed to work?" Lois pressed.

"They'll simply sign a declaration of intent to act only at the government's behest. United we stand, right, Miss Lane? As it stands now, vigilantes do not represent the will of the people. And anyone espousing different merely supports their cause."

She felt herself stiffen a bit at that. It meant that he at least thought Clark was a vigilante sympathizer - at worst, they knew he was the Blur. And what did he know about Joel?

She forced a smile. "Which is exactly why I asked for the VRA assignment," Lois lied. Her pretense to speak with Slade had been to write an article for the Planet, though Slade looked at her a little skeptically. "Who better to give the military a fair shake than a brat?"

"One who has written most of her paper's pro-Blur articles," Slade answered, sending another shiver of fear down her spine.

She had to try and keep her calm, and not let him know how much his comments unnerved her. "I guess my name isn't the only reason you agreed to this one-on-one," she said carefully.

"You are not playing for your team the way you should be, Miss Lane," he accused. "We all must do our part."

"Some people might say that's what drives the vigilantes to action," she interjected. He was making her nervous, but she had expected that. Still, there had to be something here, some clue as to what the VRA was up to – and hopefully, a clue about where her son might be.

He paused, assessing her. "Well, then, they'll simply step forward and suit up with the good guys, won't they? Here's to the good guys," he said, lifting a small shot glass of the bourbon she had brought as a toast.

"Amen," Lois responded, noticing a document on his desk that looked like the blueprints to some facility. She had done plenty of research lately on government offices – this one didn't look like any of the ones she had so far recovered information on. Lois felt her heart begin to pound suddenly, as she began to angle herself to be able to snap a picture of the print.

"Ah, there must be something around here to cut this," Slade murmured, looking around the other side of his desk for a cigar cutter.

Lois had to act quickly while Slade was distracted. She took out her cellphone and took a picture of the plans.

Slade heard the click of her camera and turned on her, suddenly angry. "Your name got you in here, but it won't get you out of trouble… Show me your hand," he demanded, showing his true colors for just moment.

Thank God Lois was quick on her feet. She had kept hold of the Zippo lighter she had brought. She clicked it on, slipping her cellphone in her other hand into her pocket.

She plastered on a smile. "Now- I just thought you might like a light."

"I apologize," Slade offered, taking her lighter to light his cigar. "These vigilantes have got me suspicious of everyone."

"No worries," Lois said, continuing to smile, though her cellphone was burning a hole in her pocket. She wanted to get that photo to Clark and the others as soon as she could…  
"These days, you just don't know who you can trust," she said honestly, backing towards the door. "Thank you for your time today, General."

"Miss Lane?" he inquired, and she turned. He seemed about to say something else, but instead tipped his glass of bourbon in a half salute. "Thanks for the gifts… and tell your father I said hello."

"Yes, sir," she said curtly, and hightailed it out of there.

Lois almost felt like breaking into a run as she entered the corridor. There was something about that facility she had seen… it had to be a clue. But she couldn't pull out her phone before she left base, in case anyone stopped her.

She stepped outside the building, nodding hello to soldiers she passed, trying to keep her pace normal, but inside, she was dying. Slade seemed to know who Clark really was – and if so, what if he had little Joel somewhere? What if he was in this facility that Lois had grabbed a photo of?

Lois made it to her car, tears now in her eyes, as she felt betrayed by her father… did he know what he was risking by digging into Clark's life? She started her car and headed off base, again, going as slow as normal, though she wanted to slam on the gas.

When she waved to the guard at the gate, she felt like she could breathe again. As soon as she got out of visual distance from the base, she pulled out her cellphone and called Clark.

"I got something," she said. "A picture of a facility… I think it's in Alaska. Clark, what if Joel is there?"

"Just send it to me, Lois. We'll find him. I promise."

~L&C~

Clark was certain that the picture Lois had sent him wasn't of any facility he had seen in his nightly sweeps across the country. This was deep in the wilds of Alaska, meant to be hidden. He felt his stomach clench in disgust and fear as to what they could be doing if his son was there… not that they had any confirmation that he was. But considering what Sam Lane knew, and what apparently General Slade knew, this seemed like the most likely answer.

Clark blurred into Watchtower, waiting for Oliver and AC to show up so they could conference on how best to proceed.

"What did Lois find?" Chloe asked, reaching to see the picture on Clark's phone.

Clark sighed as he handed it to her. "It's definitely a new facility… and not one that's been on our radar," he said anxiously.

Chloe looked closer at the image, picking up some details such as longitude and latitude positional markings. "Well, at least they left the address," she smirked, entering the coordinates into her computer. It was her turn to sigh when the position came up on screen. "And man, is it ever deep in the wilderness."

"Doesn't matter. We have to go check it out."

"I know, Clark. Just saying… we should know as much as we can about this place before you head up there…" Chloe said, typing in some search terms. "Hmmm… completely generic in every way. Just makes it more suspicious, don't you think?" she asked rhetorically. "I mean, if I wanted to hide something sketchy if I were the government, I'd at least think of some catchy, patriotic name."

"Well, whatever it is, we need to check it out. It's been almost two weeks and-" Clark stopped as he noticed Chloe's expression. "What is it, Chloe? Is there something else?"

She nodded, seemingly reluctantly. "Clark, I think we're dealing with more than just the VRA." She turned to her computer and brought up the talk with Slade Wilson on Gordon Godfrey's talk show. "Turn those super ears on and listen carefully to this," she said, then hit play.

Clark looked up at her sharply at hearing the almost demonic tones underlying the conversation. "What is that?"

Chloe sighed, and pulled up a map on her computer of Metropolis. "This is from about ten months ago. There was a huge energy spike on the grid when you sent the Kandorians home…"

Clark glanced worryingly at the map she was displaying. "Are you saying the government knows what happened that day?"

Chloe shook her head. "It's worse than that… See this?" she asked, pointing to another spike in the same spot about an hour later, that was almost ten times as intense as the portal the Kandorians went through. "'Something wicked this way comes,'" she quoted. "What I mean is, you let something else through that portal, Clark. Something darker and more dangerous than we've ever seen before."

"Another phantom?"

"I don't think so. Clark, all I'm saying is – we need to be extra careful. I think we're dealing with more than just an overzealous general."

Clark sighed, running his fingers through his hair, guilt clearly on his face. "I can't win, can I? I try to do the right thing and—"

"Clark, you couldn't have known. The best we can do is work with the information we have," Chloe said practically.

"On top of all this I have to worry about what the government might be doing with my son…"

"I know, Clark," Chloe said sympathetically, patting his shoulder. "We'll find him."

Just then, Oliver and AC walked in. "Bart should be here by now…," Oliver commented, already in his Green Arrow gear. "So, let's have a look at this facility we're about to break into."

Chloe connected Clark's phone to the Watchtower computer and enhanced Lois' photo. It was a bit blurry at first, but eventually Chloe got a clear rendering. "Well, it goes at least seven levels down into the ground… and it's nearly surrounded by water. At least there shouldn't be too much ice up there this time of year."

AC nodded. "Doesn't matter. I can handle icy water just as easily. As much as I hate that they built it on a lake, destroying who knows how many habitats, at least I know I will be able to get in there."

"I'll take off from Queen Tower in a few hours… I should be able to meet you all there by midnight," said Oliver.

"That will give AC, Bart, and I some time to do a bit of recon… and then we can make our move," Clark said decisively, though his brow was knitted in concern.

Suddenly, Bart flashed into the room. "Sorry I'm late, dudes… A little mamacita was distracting me in Mexico," he grinned, but then seeing the seriousness of the situation, schooled his features. "So what's the plan, amigos?"

"You and I will head to Alaska and try to scope out the building. Assess how many guards and arms there are. I'll try to scan the building, providing it isn't lined with lead. Then AC and Oliver will meet us later tonight and we'll break in," Clark explained. He glanced down at his cellphone, wondering where Lois was. He hadn't heard from her since she sent the photo of the facility, and he just hoped she wasn't doing something foolish…

"Wow, is that little dude being held there?" Bart asked.

"We're not entirely sure, but it seems most likely," Oliver said, stepping over towards Chloe to say goodbye.

Chloe tugged Oliver out of earshot of the others – well, except for Clark. Though he seemed preoccupied.

"I'm worried about Clark," Chloe said. "Keep an eye on him. He's blaming himself so much in all of this… and I'm not sure he's thinking clearly."

Oliver nodded. "I'll try, but you know as well as I do, that he'll do what he wants."

"Yeah, I know," Chloe conceded. She reached up to kiss Oliver lightly on his cheek. "Still… be careful."

Oliver took her chin in his hand and leaned down for a more proper kiss. Then he turned to his comrades. "All right. Let's roll."

~L&C~

Lois drove around the outside of the base for the next half hour, thinking. Would it do any good to speak to her dad again? She knew his loyalty to the military was top priority, so he wasn't likely to reveal any information he might have about the picture she had taken.

He was likely still angry with her… but she knew he believed in family. On some level, she knew he had to be worried about Joel being missing, just as much as she and Clark were.

Remembering what it was like being pregnant with Joel, how connected to him she had felt, she mentally reached for that connection once more… On some level she knew it was a bit silly. She didn't think she was psychic or anything, but she did believe in the connection between a parent and child. That dream she had a few nights ago, she knew there was something to it, something real. After seeing the photo of the facility on Slade's desk, she wondered if she had been dreaming about that very building…

It had been a half hour since she sent Clark the text. She knew he was probably at Watchtower, planning with the other heroes. Just as she had insisted on facing Slade alone, he wouldn't want her in the middle of this, and certainly wouldn't want her going to this facility with the rest of the team.

But she would go. Oliver wouldn't turn her down. After doing some checking on her phone, she knew the building was in Alaska. And the guys would wait until tonight to make their move. That meant Oliver would fly out this afternoon sometime.

Lois was suddenly no longer driving aimlessly. She turned her car around and started heading into Metropolis.

~L&C~

Lois Lane stomped into the main lobby of Queen Tower. She felt a little relief at recognizing the girl that was running the front desk. It would make this much easier…

"Hey there, Cindy. Is Oliver in his office?" she asked casually.

Cindy looked up from a newspaper she was reading. "Oh, hi, Lois. Yes. But he's going to be leaving from the helipad in about a half hour. If you hurry, you should catch him."

"Thanks," Lois said, walking briskly to the elevators. Usually people needed an appointment to see Oliver, but Lois had been given special license over the years to bust in on Oliver whenever she saw fit.

Every now and then there would be a newbie working there who would make things more difficult for her, but thank God today wasn't one of those days.

Lois made it to the tenth floor, and anxiously waited for the doors to open. She stepped off the elevator just as Oliver was locking up his office.

"To what do I owe this social call?" Oliver asked coolly.

"I think you know, Ollie. I want to go with you."

Oliver shook his head. "Oh, hell no. Clark wants you safe. There's no need—"

Lois stepped closer to him, so he'd look in her eyes. "Oliver, you don't know what it's like… the hell of not knowing what is happening. That's my son… Ollie, if you had a son, wouldn't you want to be there, to do everything you could to bring him home safely?"

She was a good persuader, especially when it counted.

Oliver sighed, "I know, Lois. But it could just be a false lead. We've already been over half the country—"

"I know. But I just have this gut feeling… this is the one. And I want to be there to be sure Joel comes home."

Oliver hesitated a moment, rubbing his jaw as he thought. He let out a puff of air, nodding. "All right, fine. Clark will skin me alive…"

"Don't worry, Oliver. I'll take the blame."


	4. Chapter 4

_Rick Flagg knew they were patriots – whether or not the US government acknowledged that._

The vigilantes were heroes in their minds, and they knew the VRA had to be stopped.

But it would be difficult reaching its biggest supporter – General Sam Lane. Could they attack him on base? Only if they got a long-range missile. Good thing they had a man on the inside.

General Sam Lane had to be stopped.

~L&C~

Clark decided he needed to do some local recon before heading to Alaska… Lois hadn't filled him in on how her meeting with Slade had gone, but Clark was beyond curious – he was worried. How much did the government know about him and his son? He needed to know what they might be walking into. Clark was pretty sure he could sneak onto the base without being detected, and he had lots of time before he had to meet the guys in Alaska.

If Slade Wilson was indeed the one who had his son, Clark needed every possible advantage. His greatest fear was that they had discovered how meteor rocks affected him. He would be of no use to his son whatsoever if he walked into a green kryptonite trap…

Clark knew General Wilson's office was near General Lane's. Clark didn't exactly trust Lois' father, either, but he had a bit more faith in Sam Lane, just because he knew that Sam must have some feelings of concern over his grandson being missing. Clark hoped that Sam was working in the background to see if the military knew anything about it – and had stopped looking into him.

Clark blurred across the military complex to the administrative offices. He found Slade's office easily, but it was occupied. General Lane was with him… Clark felt his heart sink a bit, mainly for Lois. If these two were working together against him, how would Lois ever reconcile her relationship with Clark to Sam Lane?

But first, Clark needed to know what they were discussing. He snuck into an empty room, next door, to listen in.

"Your daughter is poking her nose in places it doesn't belong, Sam," Wilson warned, while at the same time offering Sam a glass of bourbon.

"She's worried about her son. He's been kidnapped," Sam said, eyeing the bourbon bottle, thinking it looked familiar.

Slade seemed to avoid Sam's statement. "And that boyfriend of hers? He's a vigilante. We have all the evidence we need to prove it."

Sam nodded. "I know… But I also know that Lois loves him," Sam acknowledged grudgingly.

"Even if he is a threat to national security?" Slade pressed. "These vigilantes have no respect for the rule of law. You know that!"

"What am I supposed to do? Have him arrested? Anyway, I can't until the VRA passes… and I've got to do battle with his mother in the Senate in order for that to happen."

Clark was glad that Lois wasn't there to hear this. He knew she longed for reconciliation with her father, but there would never be any if he continued down this hero-hater path. At least Clark didn't think so. Not if he knew Lois… But, regardless of Sam's stance on the VRA, it didn't seem that he knew anything about Joel's whereabouts. General Wilson didn't appear as innocent to Clark. Still, to find out more, he'd have to wait until they both left the office, so he could investigate.

Clark checked his watch… He had about another half an hour before he should head out. Suddenly a noise caught Clark's super-hearing. It sounded like a low whistle, almost like – a rocket. Clark peered through the walls, seeing a missile of some kind heading straight towards the two generals.

Clark blurred into the office, swiping them both out of the building, just as a rocket grenade hit where Generals Lane and Wilson had been standing. Clark burned his signature onto the wall of the building, only slightly enjoying that both of them would now have to live with the fact that a vigilante had saved their lives.

~L&C~

How the hell did he get from in there to out on the street?

Sam Lane gazed up at the burned image on the side of the administrative building. The office was in shambles, and military emergency services were on their way. Sam knew it was the Blur who had saved him and General Wilson, though Slade didn't seem at all ruffled by the experience. He simply sneered and shook his head. "See what I mean, Sam? They think they can interfere however they want."

Sam stared at the man, dumbfounded at his words. Did he not realize that, whoever had done this, the Blur had saved them?

"For all we know, the vigilantes sent the rocket themselves. Just to pull a publicity stunt," Slade went on.

Sam couldn't believe that. He knew Lois trusted the Blur, and even if he disagreed with her choices, he knew she had a strong sense of right and wrong.

The Blur had saved them. He was sure of that.

But Sam also had a duty to fulfill, and he still believed strongly in the VRA. Even if these heroes were doing good, they couldn't just act on a whim—

Or could they? Especially if it meant saving your life? Sam thought.

He sighed. He couldn't sort it all out right now. All he knew was that he was thankful to be alive. Maybe he'd try to call Lois tonight and tell her about it.

Maybe. If he could manage to swallow his pride, that is.

Sam looked up at the stylized 'S' on the wall. Under his breath he murmured. "Thanks, Blur."

~L&C~

Lois looked out of the helicopter as they neared the military complex. All she could think about was her son. She fiercely believed he was being held there, and she was determined that he would come home with her tonight.

Oliver nudged her shoulder, speaking to her through the microphone system, since the sound of the chopper was too loud for normal conversation. "We'll land about two miles away, and hike our way to the building. Clark and the others should be there soon." Oliver glanced at his watch, nodding. "We had a good headwind. We're about an hour and a half earlier than the rendezvous. But it will give us enough time to hide the 'chopper and make our way to the building."

Lois nodded, a nervous feeling creeping in her belly. She wasn't sure what they were in for, but she was prepared to do whatever it took to find Joel.

Oliver's pilot landed them in a wooded clearing. The helicopter was far enough away, and there was enough foliage in the area to keep it safely hidden. Though it was nightfall, there was still light around them. About a foot of snow lay on the ground, reflecting an eerie purple from the sky overhead.

Lois zipped up her parka and let Oliver help her out of the helicopter. Oliver had an extra leather jacket for the cold that went over his Green Arrow gear, but she eyed him suspiciously. "Really? You're going for fashion rather than common sense?" she teased.

Oliver grinned back. "I'll be fine. You ready?"

Lois double checked that she had her cellphone, and took out her wallet and keys, tucking them into her parka. If they had to run, she didn't want to be bogged down with a purse. "Okay, let's go find my son."

Oliver hesitated a moment, then turned to her. "Lois, we don't even know if he is here. And, if he is, you've gotta let me and the others take care of it. I only let you come –" he sighed. "Because I know how it feels to be helpless when someone you love is in danger. But please, don't get in the way."

"Fine," Lois murmured, though she knew she was lying. She had no intention whatsoever of staying behind…

Oliver loaded some gear on his back, as well as an extra crossbow. He carried a small backpack with emergency supplies, though he hoped those wouldn't be needed this trip. Still, out in this wilderness, even Oliver knew to be prepared. His pilot would stay with the helicopter, but had orders to get out of there should anyone approach. He had radar from Watchtower of about a couple hundred meter radius around the area, so they hopefully wouldn't be caught unawares.

"It should take us a half an hour, maybe forty-five minutes to walk up there," Oliver commented as they started on their way. His phone was connected to Watchtower so Chloe could feed him directions. "All right, Chloe. We're on our way," he spoke into his phone.

Chloe was on speaker as she responded, so Lois could hear. "I've mapped out your path. You should be all clear…"

"How did heroes do it before technology, I wonder?" Lois mused.

Oliver tossed her a smile over his shoulder. "I dunno, but it's much better with tech than without it."

They walked on in silence for some minutes as Oliver got his bearings from Watchtower. They were in a wooded area, and the snow cover made it difficult to find any discernible path. Oliver checked in with Chloe again, as they came over a hill. The building could be seen in the distance and Oliver seemed to begin to breathe a bit easier, now that they had their target in view.

"All right, Chloe. I see the building. To save battery power in this cold, I'm turning off my phone. But I'll check in when I meet up with the others, okay?"

"Didn't you bring the back-up battery?" Chloe chastised.

"Um… I guess not."

"Fine… just be careful, okay?"

"I'm always careful," Oliver said, and then shut down his phone.

"Well, I've got GPS on my phone, if you do lose battery power," Lois offered.

"Truth be told, I just wanted to talk to you without Chloe listening in…" Oliver admitted.

"Oh? Is everything all right? I thought you guys were on your way to couple-bliss-dom."

"Everything's fine with Chloe," he said, stopping a moment to turn to her. "I'm worried about you—and Clark. I'm hoping I'm not stepping on any toes here, it's just—"

Lois shook her head. "No, it's fine." She paused, unsure of how to explain things.

"Look, I know having Joel was a huge surprise, and with him missing- is everything all right, between you and Clark, I mean?"

Oliver had excellent aim, and that arrow went straight to her heart. She tried to plaster on a smile. "It's difficult, with Joel gone… I mean, I haven't seen Clark much…"

"He feels terribly guilty about what happened. I think he blames himself."

"I know he does," Lois admitted forlornly. "And I twisted that knife when I blamed him, too… I mean, he says he forgives me, but—I don't think he forgives himself. And I just—"

"What? You can tell me, Lois," Oliver prodded. "Look, we always promised to be there for each other, right? As friends?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I know… I just feel with the baby, it complicated everything. And then, when Joel disappeared – Clark has a huge guilt complex… and I don't know if he'll return to me. I mean, I don't know if I can ever see us getting married… especially if—"

Oliver clapped a hand on her shoulder. "That's why we're here, Lois. We will get Joel back. I promise."

She managed a weak smile. "Thanks."

They continued on in silence for a while, each lost in their own thoughts.

Oliver suddenly stopped, raising his hand to stop Lois. "What is it?" she asked.

Oliver scanned the area. "I heard something." He suddenly grabbed her hand and they started running.

"Is someone following us?" Lois asked, scrambling to keep up with Oliver.

Before he could answer, she heard the low growl of wolves behind them. "Are you kidding me?" she cried, doubling her effort to keep up with Ollie.

"There!" Oliver said, pointing to a large tree with low enough branches for climbing. "We need to get up there."

The wolves were only a few yards behind them. They could hear the growls and low barking noises. They sounded hungry…

Oliver took out his grappling hook and shot it up into the tree. "Hold on," he commanded Lois, just as the wolves were on their heels. As they were pulled up into the air, one wolf jumped up and bit Oliver in the calf, causing him to cry out.

"Damn it!" he said, just as they got into the shelter of the large tree, the wolves attempting to jump up to reach them.

Lois was tempted to reprimand Oliver for not wearing thicker pants, but she held her tongue. "I don't suppose you have a first-aid kit on you, do you?" she asked.

He nodded, shrugging off a small backpack. "There are bandages in there."

Meanwhile, the wolves were still intent on reaching them in the tree, their jaws snapping several feet below where Lois and Oliver were balanced on two large branches.

"Can you lean against the trunk?" Lois suggested, trying to position herself so she could sit in front of Oliver without her feet dangling over the wolves.

Oliver maneuvered himself and gave her an apologetic shrug. "Sorry… I guess Clark is much better than me at keeping you out of trouble."

She smiled at him, as she began cleaning the wound. "Sorry," she said when the alcohol made him wince. "But at least you don't try to keep me in some ivory tower. I sometimes think Clark is a little too protective."

"He just worries about you. And with good reason, considering who you hang out with," he grinned at her.

Lois got to work wrapping Oliver's leg. The cut wasn't too deep, but there was always the fear of rabies or some other disease to look out for. Once she was satisfied with her work, she patted his leg gently. "How does it feel?"

"You could've been a nurse. Good job," he said, moving his leg experimentally.

"I'd never have the patience," she said glibly, looking over her shoulder down at the wolves, which had calmed down but hadn't left. "They, on the other hand, seem to have it in spades."

Oliver peered down below them. Suddenly, there was a shift in the wolves' movement. Oliver glanced at Lois as they both heard other footsteps approaching. The wolves noticed the approaching steps as well, as all five of them turned to see what it was.

Two large dogs came into view, which looked fiercer than the wolves. They snapped at the wolves, and clearly dominating the group, the wolves scattered away. Then, two men in military uniforms appeared. "Good dogs," one of them said, throwing a scrap of some treat to one of the Dobermans.

"What were those wolves after, I wonder?" said the other soldier, looking up into the trees.

Oliver and Lois glanced at each other, both recognizing the need to keep quiet. Lois shifted ever so slightly and her cellphone slipped out of her pocket, landing with a soft 'whap' right into the snow below them.

The dogs came to sniff what fell, causing the two guards to look up into the trees.

Oliver prepared to jump down, but Lois laid her hand on his arm. "You can't take them on, Ollie. Not with your leg," she whispered.

"I may not be Clark," he said somewhat sarcastically. "But I can manage all right." Oliver swung down, so that he was hanging from the branch Lois was standing on. He gave himself a push and knocked his feet into the back of one of the men. Oliver's appearance startled the other guy, but Oliver was ready for him. He had his quick draw bow aimed at the man's head as he stepped forward.

Lois, meanwhile, dug into Oliver's backpack, to see if he had anything to distract the dogs. Luckily, she found some beef jerky. She threw a few bits down into the snow, drawing the dogs' attention away from Oliver.

The guy facing Oliver drew a gun on him. "You're on private government property, son. I'd choose your next move very carefully."

"Well, I am a tax paying citizen, so I'm pretty sure that gives me a right to be here," he said coolly.

"I'm pretty sure Uncle Sam has a different idea," the man said, gesturing with his chin to someone off in the distance.  
Suddenly, they were surrounded with at least ten other uniformed guards. "Sargent, take this vigilante, and his girlfriend up there, inside for questioning."

~L&C~

Lois and Oliver were taken into the facility, accompanied by five armed guardsmen. Oliver debated trying to take them all out, but he worried more about Lois getting in the crosshairs if they resisted. Besides, the rest of their crew was due to be here soon… He hoped that, once Clark realized Oliver was nowhere to be seen, that he'd figure out what happened.

But Clark didn't know that Lois had joined in on their little expedition. Oliver knew that if they made it out of this alive, Clark would never let him hear the end of it.

Oliver regretted not leaving on his cellphone so that Chloe could know what was happening. He noticed that Lois had managed to recover her phone before the guards had cuffed her, but Chloe wouldn't necessarily know to check for it. At the very least, he hoped that she might realize something was wrong when he didn't check in…. and perhaps she could get word the others.

Lois struggled in the cuffs that they put her in, as the guards pushed her along behind Oliver. "I don't know what kind of place you've got going here, but I highly doubt this is legal!" Lois spat.

Oliver knew it was better to keep quiet, at least until they got where they were going. On the bright side, they were being taken inside. If he could figure a way out of his captors' grasp, he might be able to have a look around the facility, which had been the mission in the first place.

When they entered the building, the guards took them into an elevator and pressed a button sending them six floors down under the earth. With each level they passed, Oliver knew it would be that much harder to escape back up to the surface. But still, he had to remain calm. For Lois' sake, at the very least.

They took them down a dark corridor, only lit with one small lamp at every fifty foot interval. At last, they dropped Lois in a tiny cell. There was a little window in the door, and she watched as they took Oliver back towards the elevator.

"We've been waiting for you, Green Arrow," said one of the guards, as he pushed the elevator button to call it back down. "Uncle Sam wants to see what you're really made of."

Oliver stepped in, staring down the long corridor where Lois stood behind a locked door. Their eyes met, and Oliver tried to force a smile, tried to convey that everything would be okay. Clark would get them out of here…

Then, the elevator closed, and Lois was alone, in a tiny cell, buried miles beneath the earth.

~L&C~

Once the elevator closed, the corridor she was in became eerily quiet. There were no windows, besides those which allowed her to look out of her tiny cell into the hallway. There had to be at least a dozen other cells, but she didn't think any of them were occupied.

"Hello?" she called out to the echoic hallway, but didn't hear a response. It was actually more unnerving that she was entirely alone down here, under the earth… Glancing out of the tiny window again, she searched for any kind of camera, or any indication that she was being watched from somewhere. But she didn't see anything. That, at least, gave her a chance to work on a way out of there…

Lois turned to face the small room. There was a tiny cot that sort of looked clean, and a sink. A bucket stood in the corner for what she assumed was to be what she should use if she needed the restroom. She tried not to let despair overcome her, and was thankful that she at least still had all her belongings. It was odd that they didn't search her, but she wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Lois unzipped her parka but decided to keep it on, as the cement walls seemed to radiate dampness and cold. She took out her cellphone, knowing it wouldn't get service in this hole, but thought she'd check anyway… Just as she thought-nothing.

She took out her wallet, contemplating using one of her credit cards to try and unlock her door, but just one look told her it was futile. The lock was very thick, turned over twice.  
There was no way she was getting out of here on her own…

Determined not to despair, Lois decided to lie down and rest a moment. Maybe she just needed to clear her head, and she'd think of something. Or at the very least, she needed to save her strength for when there did come a moment to escape.

Lois closed her eyes… she tried to think of Clark, of finding Joel again, but only tears came to her eyes… She opened them again, and looked up at the barren walls, wondering how long she would be stuck in this no-name place. What if Clark never found her?

She sighed and turned onto her side. Once again she tried to close her eyes, to calm herself by listening to the sound of her breathing… then, she thought she heard something.

She sat up, a gasp caught in her throat. There was a vent in the top right corner of the room, too tall to reach… but she heard –

Lois concentrated all her energy, to focus on that sound. There it was again.

She wasn't imagining it!

Somewhere, in another room, perhaps another level of the building, but through the vent - she heard a baby cry.


	5. Chapter 5

"Joel?" Lois called out involuntarily, startled by the discovery. She scrambled off the bed, and spun around the room, searching for something, anything to stand on to bring her closer to the vent. She eyed the 'bathroom' bucket and grabbed it, flipping it over so she could stand on it. She could reach the vent, but she couldn't see into it.

She wanted to call out to him again, but at the same time, if his captors realized she knew they had him, they might move him. So she forced herself to be quiet, and just listen… She heard another cry, though he didn't sound overly distressed in any way. An uncontrollable sob escaped her lips, and she clamped her hand over her mouth. Part of her was filled with joy – he was alive! He was here! But she was trapped, and she had no idea how to reach him.

Lois eyed the vent above her, feeling helpless. She could just reach her fingers to the bottom two screws, but even if she could get them off, she couldn't possibly reach the top…

She sighed as she stepped off the bucket, staring up at the vent that could lead her to her son. "Clark, where are you?" she whispered forlornly, setting herself back down on the tiny cot. She hated feeling this helpless…

But she'd find a way. Surely someone would come back to check on her at the very least. And when they did, she would be prepared.

Her son was counting on her.

~L&C~

Oliver hung his head in shame as they rode back up the elevator. How could he have let this happen? Lois was now imprisoned, and who knew what they were going to do with him… Oliver assessed whether he could take down the guys that surrounded him, especially in handcuffs. There were three guards around him, two on each side, and one behind him. They each held a gun, aimed at him. Oliver closed his eyes, thinking as the elevator rode upwards. In his martial arts training, he had worked on attacking several people at once, but not in such a confined space, and certainly not with his hands in chains. If he made a mistake, he was sure they'd shoot him.

Just as he was deciding he might be able to pull something off, the elevator stopped and a guard nudged a pistol in his back, urging him to move. He had waited too long. Oliver missed his chance. Or –

He walked just slightly slower than the two guards on either side of him, tripping up the guard behind him for just a second. That second was what Oliver needed, as he used his elbow to knock the guy behind him in the chest. Oliver stepped back and spun so he was behind the guard, wrapping his cuffed arms around him, so the guard would act as a shield from the other two.

Just as the other two guards realized what happened, the doors of the elevator closed. Oliver pulled the guard so he could reach the button panel. He hit the last button, sending them back to the floor where they had left Lois.

The guard struggled in Oliver's grasp, but luckily he couldn't do much to maneuver out of it. Oliver swung the guard to one side, knocking the pistol out of his grasp as his elbow hit the wall. In one movement, Oliver swept the weapon behind himself with his foot. The guard was now flailing in Oliver's grasp, trying to turn to face him. Oliver let his grip loosen for just a moment, so the guard could face him, and Oliver could knee him in the crotch.

"All right… you wanna give me the keys to these now?" Oliver taunted, still keeping his grip around the guard's shoulders.

"I don't have it," the guard said in gasps. "I only have the keys to the girl's cell…"

"Then give those to me," Ollie said, glancing at the elevator panel. The doors were just about to open.

Oliver could see the key ring on the guard's belt. He hated to do it, but he needed him unconscious. Oliver took his arms off from around his head, and elbowed him in the face, smacking him into the corner, where he fell in a heap.

The door chimed open, and Oliver bent to grab the keys and the pistol. He didn't intend to use the weapon, but he didn't want the guard waking and coming after him with it. As he stepped out, he realized that the others were probably trying to call up the elevator to come chase him down. There didn't seem to be any emergency stairs in this place, so his best bet was to keep the elevator down on this level.

Oliver dragged the unconscious guard and laid him between the doors so they couldn't close, and jogged down the relatively dark hallway.

"Lois!" he called, looking down the three choices. He couldn't remember exactly which arm of the corridors they had taken her.

"Here, Ollie!" she called to his right, down at the far end.

Oliver loped down the hallway, the pistol awkwardly in his confined grasp.

"I'm gonna get you out of there, Lois. Just hang tight," Oliver said, setting the weapon down next to the door as he fumbled with the keys. "They should really label these, you know?" he said, trying one after the other, looking for the one for her door.

"Ollie, I heard Joel. He's here!" she said excitedly through the window of the door.

"Good, then this little trip wasn't entirely in vain…" he said, just as the fourth key he tried opened the door. "Bingo! You're free!"

Lois pointed to the vent in her cell. "He's through there somewhere, Ollie. If you can just give me a boost—"

"Whoa, no Lois. We gotta get out of here. Chloe and Clark have no idea we're stuck down here."

"Ollie, my son is here! I have to go after him!"

"Lois—we need to get Clark first. It is way too dangerous. Now, come on—my 'friend' over there is holding the elevator for us," he said with a nod towards where he came from.

"I'm already down here. All I need is to get into that vent. I can crawl through it and—"

"And what, Lois? Get caught on the other side? What good would that do Joel? Besides, he may not be on this level." Lois looked forlornly at the vent, reconsidering. Oliver sighed. "Look, we know he's here… we won't leave him behind. But first, we've got to get to the others."

Lois looked longingly at the vent, thinking. She sighed and then nodded. "All right. But just how do you expect we'll get out of here? Surely they'll stop us if we get back to the surface level."

"They took all my gear… but you look like you still have all your stuff. Do you have your cellphone?"

"Yeah," she said, fishing it out of her pocket to show him.

"Good. Turn it on. As soon as we're close enough to the surface, Chloe should be able to pick up on its signal."

"How do you know she'll know to do that?"

He shrugged with a grin. "I know Chloe. It will at least give us a shot at getting some back up."

Lois nodded, turning on her cell. "Okay. Now what?"

Oliver gestured with both his hands towards the pistol. "You're an army brat, right? You know how to use one of those?"

Lois grudgingly picked up the weapon. "Unfortunately, yes."

"Good. Cause I may need your help when we go face our friends upstairs," Oliver said as they headed back towards the elevator.

~L&C~

Clark landed with a whoosh a few hundred yards from the compound. He had spotted Oliver's helicopter and assumed he would be there waiting for him.

Bart sprinted into view in a burst of light. "All right, so where's our other amigos?"

"I don't know," Clark answered in a worried tone. "Oliver is definitely here somewhere, though."

"Do you think he went in there on his own?"

Clark's brow knitted in concern. "I hope not. But sometimes Oliver – does what he wants," Clark said with a sigh. "Have you seen AC?"

"I'm right here," AC said, approaching them from behind, causing the other two to turn towards him. "The water's cold, but it isn't too frozen. I can swim in from below the surface."

"Be careful. Oliver is here, but nowhere to be found. If he went in on his own, then they might already be alerted that we are here," Clark warned. He touched the device in his ear. "Chloe? Can you read our location?"

"Yeah…" she said on the communicator, sounding hesitant.

"What is it Chloe?" Clark prodded, recognizing through years of friendship a note of concern in her voice.

"Clark, you're not going to like this…" she began.

Clark sighed, knowing they were wasting time, giving whoever was in that compound a chance to get a step ahead of them. "Chloe, we don't have time. Just tell me what it is."

"Um, you should know that I picked up Lois' cellphone signal from inside the compound."

Clark glanced up, panic written on his face. "What? Why would she come out here?"

Chloe sighed, "Clark—he's her son too."

"And Oliver? Have you tracked him?"

"He checked in a while ago, but that was the last I heard from him."

"All right, Chloe," Clark said, suddenly all business as he tried to push the thought of Lois inside that building away. "AC will go in through the surrounding lake. He will try to let us in without hitting off any alarms. He has ten minutes to find the entrance we located back at Watchtower," Clark said, glancing at AC who nodded in confirmation. "If he doesn't succeed, I'll bust in, and Bart and I will race through the building to see what we can. I hope we can keep a low profile though…"

"OK, I'll keep an eye on things here. And I'll let you know if Lois' phone shows up on my radar again."

"Thanks, Chloe." Clark closed his cellphone, his heart heavy with worry. "Why would Lois step into the middle of all this?" he asked no one in particular.

Bart and AC exchanged looks. AC clapped Clark on the shoulder. "It's all right, Clark. If she's in trouble, we'll help her."

Clark nodded. Though it did nothing to ease the knot of fear in his stomach.

~L&C~

Lois and Oliver headed into the elevator, Lois reluctantly clutching the pistol from the fallen guard.

"We have to hope we make it to the top without stopping. With just two of us—" Oliver said, shaking his head. "Clark is going to kill me when he realizes I let you tag along."

"Clark will get over it," Lois said quietly, watching the panel as it lit up, moving up past various floors.

On the fifth floor up, the doors chimed open. Oliver stepped around Lois so he was in front of her. "I appreciate the sentiment, Ollie. But I'm the one with a gun," she said, giving him a sidelong smile.

Oliver tried to push the 'close' button, hoping they'd continue unmolested on their mission to get out of there, but as the doors swung open, three other officers faced them, pointing rifles at them.

"Drop your weapon!" one of the men commanded.

"Like hell I will," Lois grounded out, ready to aim and shoot if need be.

Oliver had his hands in the air. "Lois, don't," he said, moving closer to her. Then, he grabbed the gun from her and swung at the three guards. "Allow me!"

He had the guards distracted, which might be as good as they were going to get. Ollie shouted at Lois over his shoulder, "Lois, run!"

She didn't need to be told twice. Seeing the elevator was blocked by Oliver and the guards, she turned and headed down the hallway, searching for a door to duck into.

Oliver managed to step back into the elevator and closed the door before the guards could stop him.

~L&C~

Lois found a stairwell, where none had seemed present on the floor they had put her in that tiny cell.  
She stepped in for cover, and to give herself a chance to catch her breath.

She had seen Oliver disappear back into the elevator, and she knew the guards would be coming after both of them, and probably had others on the lookout for them all over the building. She had to tread carefully.

Hearing herself breathe in the echoic stairwell, she felt rather safe. Lois glanced over the railing, seeing the stairs went up quite a ways, but she was only two levels above the ground floor. She felt a lurch in her chest, wondering if Joel was held on any of those levels below her. In the cell, his cry had come from far away, somewhere above her. If she was close…

She only hesitated a second, then ran down the two flights of stairs to the basement level. She told herself that Oliver would make it out and get Clark. If she got caught, then it would only be a matter of time before he would come and rescue her – and hopefully, their son as well.

When Lois reached the bottom level, she peeked through the window in the door. The corridors looked different here than where they had held her captive; the walls were metallic, clinical. Carefully, she opened the door and stepped into the hallway.

Lois glanced up, noticing that cameras were strategically placed throughout. She would be spotted eventually, but she didn't care if she could just find Joel…

Having a good sense of direction, she followed the floor plan in the path of where her cell had been, three floors below. Joel had to be here somewhere. She just hoped this was the right floor.

Warily, Lois made her way down the hallway, staying against the wall just under the cameras as much as possible. The halls weren't well lit, which she hoped was working to her advantage.

Peeking into one door, the room looked like a lab of some sort, or a hospital. A metal table lay in another room, near a glass cabinet with all sorts of medical equipment, though Lois got the distinct impression that the room wasn't designed to save lives – but rather, to experiment with them.  
She shoved that dark thought away, afraid to think about what that could mean about what they were doing with Joel.

As she inched down the hallway, she thought she heard a baby gurgle, and she started moving faster, a whispered, "Joel!" escaping her lips.

Eventually she came to a glass wall, and there inside, was her son, sitting on a table, surrounded by barriers. But what puzzled her even more, was what he was holding in his pudgy little hand – her blue kryptonite bracelet.

~L&C~

Oliver made it out of the compound, his heart heavy, knowing Lois was still in there somewhere.

He dreaded facing Clark and seeing the inevitable recriminating expression on his face. It's not like Oliver could have stopped Lois from coming with him. But he knew that Clark wouldn't see it that way…

Still, they had to act fast to get her out of there. Oliver checked his watch, seeing that he was just a few minutes later than their original rendezvous time. It had seemed to him that they had been down there much longer.

He headed to the meeting point, and sure enough, saw Bart and Clark waiting for him.

"Oliver! What happened?" Clark asked immediately. "Where's Lois?"

Oliver stared at him a second, somewhat relieved that he wouldn't have to reveal that bit of news to Clark himself. "I guess Chloe figured it out?"

Clark nodded. "Oliver, why did you bring her here?"

_Here we go_, thought Oliver. "Clark, I couldn't stop her. Come on, let's not do this now, okay? We just need to get her back."

"Fine. Any idea where they took her?"

Oliver shook his head. "I was trying to escape with her. But I got cornered and told her to get out of there. If she didn't make it out of there, she either got captured or she—" Oliver hesitated.

"Or she what, Oliver?" Clark prodded, looking very anxious.

"Clark, Lois heard Joel down there. She probably is going to try and rescue him herself," Oliver admitted reluctantly.

"She's what? He's _here_?" Clark said excitedly, a note of hope sounding in his voice for the first time in a long while.

Oliver nodded, allowing a small smile. "Yeah. He is," he said, clapping his hand on Clark's shoulder. "Come on. Let's go rescue your family."

~L&C~

Lois stared through the glass for a moment, just watching her son. Happy tears flowed down her face, as he looked unharmed. She pressed her hand to the glass, wishing she could touch him. Lois glanced around, looking for a way into the room, but it appeared to be a wall of solid glass.

"I'm going to get you out of there, Joel. Just hang on," she said, wondering if the glass was soundproof or even transparent from inside. Not that it would matter to a baby… but still, she hoped that somehow he had seen her and knew that she was coming for him.

She wondered what they had been doing to him, what they knew about him. How had he gotten her bracelet? She must have left it in his room near his crib the day of the wedding…

She couldn't think about that now. Lois had to find a way to get him out of there.

Lois started past the room, not finding a door near either side of the glass wall. Obviously there had to be a way in… Reluctantly, she left the glass wall, now desperate to find an entrance to the room.

Suddenly, a door opened, and standing before her was General Slade Wilson.

"Lois Lane. We have a few questions for you," he said, nodding to someone behind her.

She tried to turn and run, but two guards were already behind her, ready to handcuff her.

"What are you doing with my son? I didn't think the US Army was into kidnapping children!" she spat.

"That baby is no ordinary child, Miss Lane, is he?" Wilson said calmly, stepping up to her. "So, come into my office and we'll have a chat," he said, nodding to his soldiers to guide her into another room. "I'm more curious than ever to speak to the mother of the Blur's child."


	6. Chapter 6

Lois was lead into a small room, two soldiers following behind with guns at her back. General Slade Wilson stared down at her, the less reserved persona she had met in his office a few days ago now replaced by a cool, implacable mask. It all felt so surreal, and contrary to everything she had grown up believing about the military.

"Under whose orders are you running this little Gitmo?" she suddenly demanded.

Wilson almost gave her a half smile. "Don't you worry about that, Miss Lane," he said coolly, though his comment did nothing to allay her fears.

Slade seemed calm. Too calm. And Lois felt her fear brimming to the surface. She wasn't sure she had any cards to play…

"Does my father know what you're doing? I highly doubt this is condoned under the US military," she accused.

Slade almost laughed in response. "No. General Lane simply helped garner the support that we needed to pass the VRA." He made a sweeping gesture around him. "The VRA will make all of this perfectly legal."

"How dare you! When I get out of here I will see that your reputation is dragged through the mud!" Lois said, bluffing a bit since she wasn't sure how she _would_ get out of there.

"Miss Lane, I caution you… Firstly, no one would believe you. And secondly—" he pointed to the room where Joel was being held. "I have collateral."

Lois felt trapped, and her spirit bucked against the feeling, angrily. "Let me see my son!" Lois commanded forcefully. She wanted to remain calm, needed to even, but she couldn't help the fear rising up in her.

"Take me to him," she tried to say vehemently, but it came out like a choked whisper. "Let me see my son."

Wilson nodded at the guards behind her, who shoved her to her feet. She noticed for the first time that they weren't wearing standard US uniforms. These soldiers were part of some rogue militia, under General Wilson, from what she could tell. Part of her hoped her father knew nothing about this, as she couldn't imagine forgiving him for being a part of this operation. But her practical side, hoped that somehow he did know about it… that perhaps, he could get her out of there.

That is, if Clark couldn't.

But she knew that Clark had to find her first – buried in this compound, deep in the earth.

~L&C~

General Wilson nodded to his soldiers, indicating to them to have Lois follow him.

"You want to see your son, Miss Lane?" he said, turning to her. "Fine. Enjoy your stay."

The guards pushed her into the room, slamming and locking the door behind her. Lois knew she was trapped, but for the moment it didn't matter. She ran over to Joel, picking him up and holding him close. He started crying, shocked perhaps by the sudden contact.

She rocked him gently, making hushing noises to calm him. Lois breathed in the scent of her little boy, relieved tears running down her face. She looked down at him, checking him for injury or any other signs of abuse. He looked healthy and relatively happy. At least they hadn't hurt him. She didn't know what she would do if they had hurt him.

"What do you want from us?" Lois cried suddenly to the walls around her, knowing that Wilson was likely watching what was happening from the mirrored wall on her left.

"Miss Lane, I think you already know," Slade answered from a microphone piped into the room. "You're just the bait we need."

~L&C~

AC radioed to the others that he had made it inside.

His task now was to make it up six levels to the side door that they thought was the least likely to be watched, and he had ten minutes to do it. He turned down a corridor, thinking that he had plenty of time.

Suddenly, the walls around him became scorching hot. He felt his strength seep out of him, and he made a turn to head back to dive into the underwater entrance.

Unexpectedly, he was faced on either side with rifles.

"You're coming with us, fish stick."

~L&C~

On the outside, Clark and Oliver tried to make contact with AC again. Bart had raced around the building, looking for another way in. It had almost hit the ten minute mark, and they weren't sure if they would be clear to make their way inside yet.

"That place is crawling with guards," Oliver commented worriedly.

Clark felt just as anxious. "I'm tired of waiting… Lois is down there, and so is Joel."

"Clark, I know you want them back. But rushing in there—" Oliver said, shaking his head. "It could be a trap. Who knows what they know about you. I think we should wait. Maybe AC just got—delayed."

"I'll take my chances," Clark said, suddenly decisive, and then blurred away into the building.

Bart reappeared suddenly in front of Oliver. "Where's Clark going? I thought we were waiting for AC."

Oliver shook his head and clapped his hand on Bart's shoulder. "Come on. There's been enough foolhardy moves around here for one day. Let's see if we can do better without risking getting caught."

~L&C~

The compound was nearly impossible to x-ray, as almost all of the floors and walls were lined with lead. Clark hoped they hadn't done it because of him. If they knew about that weakness, he feared what else they might know about him.

Clark easily evaded guards, speeding down through the levels. From Oliver's descriptions, he knew that Lois and Joel had to be somewhere pretty deep down. He found a stairwell and blurred down as far as he could go.

The corridor looked oddly unlike any military facility he had ever seen. In fact, it reminded him of some of Luthorcorp's old facilities, which just unnerved him more.

Clark spotted a large glass wall and as he approached it, he saw Lois behind it, holding Joel, with two armed guards behind her.

"Clark! Leave! It's a trap!" he heard her cry through the glass.

"Lois! You found him!" he cried, overwhelmed for a moment at seeing his son again. Lois nodded sadly, turning Joel in her lap so Clark could see him.

"You have to go," she whispered, though he still heard her.

He was about to punch through the glass when Slade Wilson appeared in the corridor, a pistol pointed at Clark's chest. "Man of steel or just a man? You can't be both." He fired several rounds at Clark, bullets pinging harmlessly off his chest. "So it is you," Wilson murmured, impressed despite himself. "This whole building was built for the express purpose of containing your kind," he said, gesturing to the glass wall where Lois was staring at the scene.

Slade continued to approach Clark, eyeing him carefully. "Your secret was the hardest to learn." He suddenly hit a switch on the wall, shutting Clark into a barred cage that glowed green.

"Clark!" Lois cried through the glass, seeing Clark falter from the Kryptonite.

Slade simply walked closer to Clark, observing him as if he were watching an animal. "You are the real prize…"

"Let them go! If it's me you want – well, you've got me," Clark said, his eyes meeting Lois'. She shook her head, obviously having understood him, if not actually hearing him.

"No! Clark!" she called through the glass. "Let him out of there!"

Joel began to cry in her arms. She glanced down at him distractedly, and realized that he might be reacting to the nearness of the green Kryptonite. The blue Kryptonite bracelet was still on the table, some five feet away from the glass wall. Lois carefully stepped back, not wanting Slade or the guards to realize that Joel was also affected by the meteor rock. She calmly reached for the bracelet, bouncing Joel in her arms to soothe him.

"What's wrong with that baby?" Slade suddenly asked.

"He's probably hungry," Lois suggested, thinking rapidly on a way to get them out of there. "You can't keep a small baby in a room like this forever and not expect him to cry."

Lois forced herself to focus on looking at Slade, on wearing him down. She couldn't bear to glance in Clark's direction, knowing the pain he was in. She thought if she could calm herself down enough, she could think of a way to get them all out of there.

"Come on, General. He's just a baby," she said, settling Joel on her hip.

"Sir, we have the Blur," one of the soldiers commented. "None of the tests on the child have been conclusive."

Slade nodded, approaching the glass. "I can't prove that baby is a danger – but I will. Fine. Release Miss Lane and her son… we have what we need," he said, glancing at Clark. "Oh, and Miss Lane?" Slade said, turning towards Lois. "You better make your goodbyes. The Blur won't be where you can find him…"

On that ominous note, the soldiers walked Lois out, who was clutching Joel. He held onto her blue kryptonite bracelet, and she hoped that it would protect him as she neared the cage where they held Clark.

"Clark?" she said, reaching her hand out to him.

He was sweating with the pain of the green kryptonite, and she whipped her head back around to look at Slade Wilson. "You'll kill him if you keep him here!" Joel whimpered in her arms, and she knew that she couldn't stay near the poisonous cage for very long.

"I'm well aware of that, Miss Lane. Don't worry. It is only temporary, to keep him in check. We intend to discover all the Blur's secrets."

"Lois, it's all right," Clark said weakly, capturing her attention. "Just get Joel out of here."

"I won't leave you, Clark. Not like this!"

"Lois – you have to go," he said, his eyes shifting towards Joel who was beginning to look restless. "He can't stay here much longer," Clark whispered.

Lois nodded, tears in her eyes. "I'll find you, Clark. Whatever happens – I'll get you out of here. I promise."

Clark nodded in return, trying to look strong, though Lois could see the Kryptonite was painful. Clark's face was contorted pain, and it broke her heart to see him suffer so. She turned to Slade once more. "Please. Stop the meteor rock… I have to know that he'll be okay."

Slade moved towards a dial on the wall, turning it ever so slightly so the Kryptonite glow faded just a bit. Clark looked marginally better, but still weak. "I'll be all right, Lois. Just get Joel to safety," he said in measured tones, and she knew he was trying to appear stronger than he was.

Lois nodded, but then knelt by the cage to reach for Clark's hand. "I love you," she whispered.

His eyes met hers, searing her heart. "Always, Lois…"

Tears streamed down her face as the guards walked behind her, past where Slade had captured Clark. She tried to think through a scenario where she could rush on Slade or reach the panel that controlled the cage… but she feared putting Joel in danger. And Slade's hand rested on the control for the green Kryptonite. One false move, and he would turn it back up to full power.

"I'll find you," Lois mouthed to Clark, looking over her shoulder one last time. The guards put her in the elevator, sending her back up to the surface.

She held Joel close to her…Lois' heart felt torn out of her chest. She had her son back, but to lose Clark… She tried to calm herself, to tell herself it was only temporary. They would get him back… Just like she got Joel.

The guards shoved her out of the elevator and then through another door. They led her through a steel corridor, and then pushed her and Joel out into the cold. The heavy metal door slammed shut with finality.

Lois unzipped her parka, to tuck Joel inside for warmth. He only had on a onesie, though it wasn't one she recognized. She wondered who had taken care of him since his capture – and how the humanity that had seen fit to keep Joel happy and alive could be so cruel as to then torture Clark.

The blue Kryptonite bracelet winked in the sunlight. Lois breathed a sigh of relief as she tucked the bracelet into her pocket…

She had feared what blue K would do to Joel… that it would make him less like Clark. But that fact had likely saved him just now…

Whatever tests they had tried on him had failed. He had appeared like a normal human…

What had broken Lois' heart before had been Joel's salvation. Tears spilled down her cheeks at the bitter irony…

"Clark…" she keened, holding Joel closer to her. "Oh, Clark…"

She couldn't shake the mental image of Clark in that cage, suffering. She didn't know what else they would do to him, but she knew they had to find a way to rescue him.

But first, she had to get Joel somewhere safe and warm.

Lois dug into her coat pocket, relieved to find her phone. There wasn't much battery left, but she hoped it would be enough.

She wondered if she should try to call Oliver. But she had no way of knowing if he had been recaptured… No, better to reach out to Chloe…

"Chloe? It's Lois… look, I don't have much battery—"

"Lois! Where are you? The Team has mostly gone MIA… Is Clark with you?"

Again, the image of Clark trapped in the Kryptonite cage sprung to Lois' mind, and she shook her head. "No… but I have Joel. Chloe? Can you locate us using my phone? Is there anyone that can get us out of here?"

Suddenly, Lois heard the whipping sound of a helicopter overhead. She felt the need to run and hide, recalling instances when her father had appeared on one, and she had no desire to deal with him at the moment – even if it meant getting out of Alaska.

She glanced up, and almost smiled when she saw "Queen" scrawled on the underbelly of the chopper. Oliver leaned out and called down at her, "Someone need a lift?"

~L&C~

Lois watched the building become smaller below them… Part of her wanted to leave Joel with Oliver and go back in after Clark.

But she knew she couldn't rescue him on her own…

And she couldn't do it with Joel.

Slade Wilson had made it sound like they were going to take Clark somewhere else… that meant another needle in a haystack search. The team needed to keep an eye on this place, to know where Wilson was taking Clark.

The chopper was too loud to enable her to speak to Oliver directly, and Oliver hadn't bothered giving her the communique headphones. She thought of writing him a text message, but he might not look at his phone. Besides, her battery was now just about dead…

It would have to wait until they got back to Metropolis. Lois just hoped that it wouldn't be too late. If they took Clark out of this facility, who knows where they would take him or what they would do with him…

Lois closed her eyes, fighting the tears that threatened.

No matter what, she was going to somehow make her family whole.

One way or another, Lois would find a way to rescue Clark.

~L&C~

They left him there… like an animal in a cage.

The corridor was dark now, except for the eerie glow of green meteor rock.

At least Slade had turned down the intensity. As long as Clark stayed in the middle of the cage, he could breathe, and the pain wasn't too inexorable. But his legs were growing tired… he couldn't stand like this forever…

What did they want with him anyway?

Clark closed his eyes, thinking of his son and Lois.

At least they were now safe. He had sacrificed his freedom so that they might be all right.

And he knew Lois. She wouldn't leave him here. She would work tirelessly to find a way to get him out… he just hoped that she wouldn't get herself hurt in the process.

That was what he couldn't bear – her pain.

Clark breathed in deeply, feeling the slight burn of the Kryptonite. Physical pain was rare for him, but he could tolerate it for a while. Even emotional pain… he had certainly had enough of it in his life.

But Lois had always been a balm to that pain, and Clark drew on that strength now. As he breathed in, he pictured Lois' smile, her buoyant spirit. Even in this cold, dark cell, Clark could imagine light.

And that was what was going to get him through… thinking of Lois and their son.

Suddenly, a door opened down the corridor. A figure stepped out, the light seeming impossibly bright to him. As the figure stepped forward, Clark could see it was General Slade Wilson.

Because the light made it harder to see, Clark looked a little closer – a shaky, weakened version of his x-ray vision kicked in, trying to compensate for the bright light. What he saw chilled him to the bone…

An omega symbol was burned into Slade Wilson's skull… like some sort of Mark of the Beast.

Chloe had been right. There was something darker going on here.

But Clark was determined that whatever it was would not win.

"So, Blur? Let's see what you're really made of…"


	7. Chapter 7

Guards shoved Clark to his feet, putting cuffs on his wrists that were glowing with green Kryptonite. Clark stumbled as they led him out of the cage.

Slade turned down the intensity of the Kryptonite cage, though it gave Clark little respite. The cuffs were like fire on his wrists.

"I'm no threat. There's no need to treat me this way. Just tell me what you want to know," Clark pleaded. He felt dizzy, unsure of how long they had left him in that cage, though he thought it had been more than a couple of hours.

Clark felt a gun nuzzle his back, encouraging him to walk. He shuffled on his feet, the dizzy feeling making his equilibrium feel off.

General Wilson circled Clark, looking like a hawk about to attack its prey. "Where do you come from? How many of you are there on this planet? You are a threat to national security—"

"I am not a threat!" Clark cried, the pain of the green meteor rock making it hard for him to remain calm.

"We know that there were hundreds of you – if not more. Where have they gone? Are they bringing more to start a war?" Slade demanded.

Clark shook his head, having difficulty focusing. "No—you have it all wrong. They are gone. The Kan—they will never return. All that is left is me…"

"And how do we know that you cannot command an army at your will? That you don't have plans to try and take over the world?"

Clark almost laughed at the absurdity of it. He had been raised to believe in the good of humanity, to use his powers to help and never hurt… they didn't understand him. Men like Slade used power over others; he couldn't understand how a man who had as much power as Clark would not want to conquer and destroy those who stood in his way.

A wry laugh did escape Clark's lips, though he tried to rein it in, knowing how it might sound to Slade. "All I want to do is help people. That is all I've ever tried to do…" he said calmly.

"We will know your secrets," Slade said menacingly, standing close to Clark. "And if you do not cooperate, remember that we know where your family lives." Slade nodded to a guard, and they hauled Clark away to a small cell.

The ceiling overhead glowed with green meteor rock as they took off Clark's shackles. The door shut, and Slade stood behind it, staring at Clark through a small window. "That ceiling above you is motion sensitive. If you get closer than six inches to any of the walls, it will turn on, full power. Enjoy your rest… we'll speak again tomorrow."

Clark heard the footsteps outside the cell gradually die away. Where he was left on the floor, he could just barely sense the green Kryptonite above him. It wasn't painful, but it held him in check. Clark struggled to his feet, just to test the boundaries of his new cell. He stepped closer to the door, and when he was almost touching it, the ceiling glowed a bright green, sending a sharp sting of pain through his body.

Clark stepped back, assessing his small space. At least there was a tiny sink and a bucket. A cot lay in the middle of the room, and there were no windows… that meant no sunlight.

Clark sat heavily on the cot, trying to keep the despair at bay. How had they learned all his secrets? Well, not all… they didn't know where he was from. But did it matter? They knew how to control him, how to hurt him…

How could they have found out so much about him? Clark had been so careful for so many years, and only a handful of people had known his secrets…

Who could they have investigated, who might have any information about him?

Clark wondered if it had been Lionel? Or Lex…

He sighed, lying on his side. What did it matter anyway?

He was trapped here for now… Clark closed his eyes, shutting out the taunting Kryptonite ceiling overhead. He, instead, conjured Lois' smile... It had been too long since the two of them were happy… since before the wedding.

Now those dreams seemed like dust in Clark's hands… he had to find a way out of here, a way back to her.

And somehow, Clark had to hold onto the hope that everything would be okay.

~L&C~

As soon as they landed in Metropolis, and got out of the helicopter, Lois clapped her hand on Oliver's shoulder. "They are going to move him. I don't know where to, but they won't keep him in that facility long."

Oliver sighed with a nod. "Okay, let's go to Watchtower and make sure Chloe has an eye on that place. Meanwhile, are you okay?"

Lois closed her eyes, struggling to rein in the torrent of emotions. "I mean, I have my little boy back… that makes me happy. But Clark—" she couldn't get the words out. "We have to get him back, Ollie. We just have to."

"I know, Lois. We will… But Clark is not the only one Slade has under his thumb—AC never made it out either."

"Then let's get to Watchtower and figure out our next move."

~L&C~

"Okay, I will be able to tell if they move anything or anyone out of that place, so long as they do it above ground," Chloe said, once she had been updated by Lois and Oliver.  
"But—breaking in there again? Guys… I think our best bet is to wait until they do move him. Again, provided they don't do it underground."

"But we have no idea when that might be. And if we see something happening, we can't get a team up there in time to stop it," Lois reasoned.

"Lois is right… we either gotta camp out up there, and they may spot us… or we simply have to just follow wherever they take him," Oliver chimed in. He glanced at Lois, who looked tired and strained from the ordeal. "Lois, do you want me to take you home? You must be exhausted."

She shook her head. "No, not yet. I mean, we still need to figure out a plan."

"Lois, it's after midnight. Joel is crashed out in the baby seat, and you will be of better use to Clark with some shuteye," Chloe added.

Lois shrugged. "Fine, I know when I'm out numbered… but Chloe? Would you mind staying with me tonight? I really don't want to be all alone."

"Of course! Watchtower can keep an eagle eye on everything, and update me through my Blackberry. No worries. Let's get you home."

~L&C~

Chloe was asleep downstairs, though Lois kept tossing and turning. She would start to fall asleep and then jolt herself awake, needing to reach out to the crib beside her bed and feel Joel was still there.

Then, she'd reach out to the cold empty space on the other side of her, and memories of seeing Clark writhing in pain assaulted her. She couldn't sleep in this comfortable bed, knowing that he was suffering in that cage…

She had to do something, but she didn't know what.

She absolutely couldn't go to the General. He would be of no help, of that she was certain… But she needed someone with connections, someone who could investigate what the VRA and Slade were up to.

Martha!

Of course! Why hadn't she thought of that before? Lois sat up in bed, turning on the bedside lamp and reaching for her cellphone. It was almost two in the morning… too late to call Martha. And what could she tell her over the phone, that wouldn't be dangerous if overheard somehow?

Lois never sent Martha texts, but she thought if she did, then Martha might be alerted at least that something was going on…besides, she at least needed to tell her that her grandson was safe. As for her son…

Lois took in a deep breath and typed a short message: "Joel is safe home. Clark is gone. Call me tomorrow."

She hit send, hoping that Martha would put the pieces together and not call on a phone that someone like Slade could get a warrant for.

Lois leaned over the crib, checking on Joel once more. The sound of his breathing was comforting to her, especially since she had feared never to hear it again. Lois pulled the covers over herself and closed her eyes, thinking of Clark.

She tried to think of him when they had been happy, oh so briefly before the wedding. Yet the image of him in that horrible cage kept jumping to the fore.

"Clark…" the name escaped her lips like a benediction, a prayer. She imagined his strong arms wrapped around her, her head tucked under his chin as she'd listen to the rumble of him speaking, pillowed on his chest. She hadn't realized how important those moments were to her, until now…

He would come back to her…

Just like they got Joel.

Clark would be home before she knew it…

~L&C~

The phone was ringing downstairs. It stirred Lois awake, and apparently was disturbing Joel's sleep as well. He was making fussy noises next to her, noises which Lois knew would erupt into a full blown cry if she didn't get up.

"Chloe?" she called out, hoping her cousin would pick up the phone, but there was no response.

Lois sighed, sitting up and shuffling on her slippers. She reached for Joel and headed down the stairs. The phone had been ringing a good minute or so. Lois' half-asleep brain wondered who would be calling the house phone.

"Hello?" she answered sleepily, heading to the fridge to get Joel a bottle of milk.

"Lois, it's Martha. I got your message."

Lois was immediately more awake, slamming the fridge door harder than she meant to. "Mrs. K—where are you calling from?" Lois asked cautiously.

"A payphone downtown. I was worried about using my cell—"

"Yeah, I know. The VRA is supposedly connected to the government, but honestly, I'm not sure who or what to trust."

"So, you found Joel? Is he all right?"

Lois was settling Joel into his highchair, so he could enjoy his bottle. She smiled, so relieved to have him back. "He's fine…"

"And—Clark?" Martha sounded hesitant.

Lois felt her throat constrict with unexpected tears. "He—he exchanged himself for the release of me and our son. Martha, General Wilson knows his secrets. At least most of them…"

"Oh no," Martha whispered fearfully. "It can't be… it was always Jonathan's and my worst fear."

"I know… mine too, once I knew the truth about him."

"Lois, what did Slade want with him? What will they do to him?" Martha asked fretfully.

Lois could hear her own fears echoed in Martha's voice. "I don't know…All I know is what we can do on this end," she said practically, tamping down her fears by giving herself purpose, something to do towards getting Clark out of there. "I'm wondering if you can look into the VRA? Find out how legitimate it is, who else knows about it."

"Of course you know that I'll do everything I can. Pull every favor I can," Martha promised fervently. "But, I wonder… might your father be more helpful in getting that information?" Martha asked gently, knowing she might be hitting on a sore subject.

"The General has no desire to help me – and especially not Clark," Lois answered sadly. "No, I can't rely on him. Please, Martha? You have to try."

"Of course I will, Lois. He's my son. I'd do anything for him."

"Good. So would I…"

~L&C~

AC was parched with thirst… it was a deep, burning thirst – all over his body.

They had kept him strung up under a radiating light for hours now… But there had been no sign of Oliver, or Clark… That could only mean that they were most likely being held somewhere as well. He was on his own to get out of this one…

His backup plan was Mira, his wife who had amazing abilities much like himself. It had been a stunning discovery to find her, swimming at lightning speed in the South Pacific. They had swum past each other, and then stopped – each transfixed by their discovery of a person with similar powers.

She had gestured that he follow her, and she led him to an island with not another soul on it. They had all they needed though, and had talked for hours that first night…

With the sunrise, they took off across the ocean, racing each other, along with schools of dolphins. An epic swim full of laughter – and kisses….

AC thought of that first day with Mira now, summoning what little strength he had through his memory of water.

Mira would come… he had told her his plan, as he told her everything. He had wanted it to be a happy reunion, and a chance to introduce Mira to the team… but at least he knew, she would come.

~L&C~

Mira reached the government building, buried in the Alaskan wilderness, filled with trepidation. Orin hadn't returned, and he had warned her of how dangerous this mission was.

But why he was willing to risk his life to save that of a friend's baby, she wasn't so sure. She had been a loner most of her life – and family was all but a mystery to her.

But marriage, she understood. She was on equal footing with Orin, and that meant when he needed rescuing, she'd be there for him—just like he'd be there for her.

Luckily for her, the water entrances were not closely watched, at least, not from what she could tell. Hopefully no one expected someone to slip in from twenty feet below sea level. Still, she had to be careful.

Mira pulled herself up through a grate, standing in an underground sewer system. She had seen from the approach how big the building was. Finding Orin would take more than logic – she would rely on instinct, and what she believed was a profound connection to her husband.

~L&C~

AC was fading… he wasn't sure how long he could stay conscious. He felt delusional… dreaming of the ocean, of Mira…  
For the last hour, he had been staring at a fire hose across the room. He wondered why he hadn't noticed it earlier, and feared it was part of his delusion… If he could somehow reach that hose and turn it on…

His back burned from the radiating heat; he felt his skin practically peeling off his body. His whole body craved just one cool splash of restorative water.

AC's vision was becoming fuzzy… The room was spinning and he was truly dreaming now… Was that Mira?

His lips formed the word of her name, but his voice was too dry to speak. She approached him, shock in her eyes. Mira seemed to dart around the room, moving quickly, like some water sprite, though AC wasn't sure what she was doing.

Then suddenly, a cold blast of water hit him square in the chest. It felt glorious, like being reborn. AC let out a primal groan of relief, the water healing him, and giving him strength once more. With a grunt he broke the shackles that had held him to that torturous wall, standing for another moment in the spray of the water hose that Mira shot at him, a grin on her face.

After a moment, she turned off the hose and then took a few steps towards AC, reaching out to give him a hug. "We have to go… I don't know if I was spotted."

AC took her hand, and they began retracing her steps.

"The water is on this level… We just have to get through a few doors…" she said, leading the way.

They heard footsteps down a hall around the corner, and stepped into an alcove in front of a door, mainly hidden in shadows.

"…taking him?" said a voice.

"To Fort Abrams… General Wilson can run more tests there," came the answer, walking swiftly past the hallway where AC and Mira stood.

They waited until the footsteps died away, and then took off running down the opposite hallway. In mere moments, they were diving into water and heading back to Watchtower.

~L&C~

Lois and Chloe were sitting in front of Watchtower's computer, monitoring the facility where Clark was being held.

"This is ridiculous… we should be up there, trying to break him out," Lois said irritably. "Here I am sipping a latte while my fiancé is likely being tortured!" Lois set her offending mug angrily down on the console, feeling helpless once more.

Chloe sighed. "Look, we've got to solve one problem at a time… We may have to go back anyway—AC is still in there."

"Not anymore," AC said with impeccable timing, stepping into Watchtower.

"How did you get free from lil' Gitmo?" Chloe asked.

"I had help," AC said, stepping to the side to introduce his wife. "This is Mira, my wife – and my rescuer."

Mira smiled up at AC. "We look after each other."

Lois stepped forward, looking decidedly angry that it was AC standing there and not Clark. "Nice to meet you, too," Lois said flatly, in a rush, pushing on to more important matters. "Did you see Clark at all? Did you even try to find him?"

"We didn't have time. We had to get out of there as soon as Mira found me."

Lois crossed her arms, seething. "He would never leave you like that, AC. You know that."

AC nodded, looking contrite. "I know you're upset Lois, but—"

"No buts, okay? My fiancé is trapped in some cage of torture, and you two just want to make moony eyes at each other!"

Chloe put her hand on her cousin's shoulder, trying to calm Lois. "Let AC speak. He may know something."

AC dipped his head in a short 'thank you.' "We may not have been able to rescue Boy Scout, but I think I know where they're taking him."

"Where?" Lois asked pointedly, her hand gripping a nearby chair, revealing how tense she really was.

"Fort Abrams. We heard some guys talking about it before we dived out of there."

"Fort Abrams?" Lois breathed, sounding almost hopeful. "I know that place like the back of my hand…" She glanced at the computer screen where they were keeping tabs on any movement up in Alaska. "All we need to do is wait until they make their move. If they take Clark to Fort Abrams, we'll have him out of there in no time…"


	8. Chapter 8

Martha Kent entered the Senate chambers, still blown away by the fact that she was a Senator. She was early, and it was quiet moments like these that almost gave her chills. She'd mull over the history of the country, over the debates of ideas that these walls had witnessed – and she'd inevitably think of Jonathan. His idealism still encouraged her, even after all this time – and even after she had seen the shiny veneer of being a US Senator wear off due to, either the intransigence or dishonesty, of those she worked with.

She sighed as she went over her notes for what she would say today. They were debating the VRA bill, and Martha was hoping to push it as a States' Rights decision, so there could be a referendum. She had written her speech more than a week ago – before she knew about what happened to Clark.

Her words were still persuasive, but she couldn't talk about the military base Lois had discovered, or the fact that they were torturing people there. Not without revealing Clark's secret, and potentially putting him in more danger. No, she had to use reason and the law, calmly, to make this happen.

"Mrs. Kent?" came a deep but gentle voice from somewhere behind her.

Martha tried to smile as she saw General Sam Lane approach her. He was supposed to be debating the other side, along with Senator Kemp.

"Good morning, General," she said, giving what she hoped was a friendly smile.

He took off his military hat, and reached to shake her hand. "Good morning, Mrs. Kent. I just wanted you to know, that though we may stand on different sides of this issue, I still consider you a friend."

"I appreciate that, General," Martha answered, genuinely touched.

Sam leaned in conspiratorially. "You know, between you and me? I'm starting to have doubts about this whole thing," he confessed in a low voice.

"Oh?" said Martha interestedly.

"Yeah… believe it or not, the Blur saved my hide a while back."

Martha felt her heart drop to her stomach, fearing that the Blur –her son – may not be able to make any more saves if he didn't get out of that facility in Alaska.

Martha could hear the rumble of people coming into the Chamber, yet something prodded her to stop Sam before he found his seat. "Um, General? After the debate, I'd be honored if you'd let me take you to lunch – so we can let bygones be bygones?"

Sam smiled at her. "Mrs. Kent, the honor would be all mine."

~L&C~

Later that afternoon, after a long, spirited debate in the Senate, Martha and General Lane sat down for lunch. She suggested that they head into Georgetown, telling the General that it had a bit of a small town-feel which reminded her of Smallville. But the real reason was that most of Congress would remain close to the Capitol for lunch, and she wanted to avoid colleagues.

They entered a quaint little seafood restaurant, and were afforded privacy by the tall blue leather booths.

"I'm surprised you still wanted to take me to lunch after that performance, Mrs. Kent," Sam commented, beginning to peruse his menu.

"I never back down on a promise, General."

"Hmm… " Sam responded noncommittally.

A few moments of silence ensued as they chose their meals. Martha waited until the waitress had brought their drinks before she got down to brass tacks.

"So, just curious, General… do you really think these heroes are a danger to society?"

"You don't pull any punches, do you Mrs. Kent? Perhaps you've taken a lesson from my Lois," he ribbed good-naturedly. "Honestly, I am not sure what I think anymore. I said what I had to say today, but I hope it will go to a national referendum, like you suggested. After being –rescued, by the Blur – well, I know your son sympathizes with—"

Sam paused as he noticed Martha's distraught look, as much as she tried to hide it with a smile. "What is it, Mrs. Kent?"

"Um… it's just my son. He—he's missing," she said, admitting part of the truth before she could stop herself.

"Missing? I thought it was my grandson—"

Martha shook her head. "No, no… he –he was found," she tried to explain, realizing she may have already said too much. She glanced across at Lois' father, knowing that Lois had at one time believed in him, and perhaps still did… she wondered – could he help?

"Then why is Clark now missing?" Sam asked deliberately. "What is it you're not telling me?"

Martha started nervously playing with her napkin, knowing this could go terribly wrong. "You had Clark investigated," she said in a low voice. "Surely you can put the pieces together, General."

"Are you saying Clark was arrested because of me?" he asked, starting to sound defensive.

"General, very few people know the—the truth about my son," she said slowly. "Those that know either risk putting themselves in danger – or, they could destroy him."

"What is it you're trying to tell me, Mrs. Kent?"

She glanced up at Sam, trying to read him. She knew what she was about to say could indeed destroy her family – but Lois was part of her family, too. And despite the tension between Sam and Lois, she knew he loved his daughter.

Besides, if she didn't say something, who knew what would happen to Clark? At least Sam knew the military. If anyone could help her son, she thought it would be him.

Martha sighed anxiously, now wishing she had at least talked this over with Lois. Lois might be spitting angry when she learned that Martha went behind her back to talk to her father…

"Maybe this was a mistake," Martha said in a rush, about to excuse herself to the ladies room to think.

"Wait… please, Mrs. Kent. As I told you before, I am more than grateful to you – and your late husband for taking care of my little Lo'. I know I may have jumped the gun a bit on judging Clark… I can see that something has you very worried, and I'd like to help. If you'll let me."

Martha let out a low breath, knowing this was it. Either she'd win an ally, or destroy forever Sam's trust in her family – and that included Lois.

"General, do you know what they are going to do with—vigilantes that they arrest under the VRA?"

He nodded, seeming a bit taken aback by the change of subject. "Sure. They'll be given a chance to enlist, to serve Uncle Sam the old fashioned way."

Martha shook her head, slowly, feeling tears well up as she thought of her son. "No, General. That is not the plan – at least not the official one. They are planning on holding them prisoner, and torturing them. I know because – they have my son."

"What? Who has your son?"

"Whoever is behind the VRA. Really behind it."

Sam thought about that for a moment, then leaned in. "Why do they have your son, Mrs. Kent?"

"The same reason they took Joel – and released him. Because they really wanted Clark. Because he- he helps people. He—"

"He's the Blur," Sam whispered, with sudden realization.

Martha felt a few tears spill down her cheeks, nodding. "Yes. But he's a good man, General. He doesn't deserve to be treated this way."

"How do you know what happened to him? How did you get Joel back?"

Martha sighed, knowing she couldn't explain more. She had already said too much as it was. "I'm afraid, in order to get that story, you'll have to ask your daughter."

~L&C~

Lois was packing Joel's things to take to Metropolis, to go over a plan with the others at Watchtower on how they would get Clark out of Fort Abrams. She was mentally juggling a list of things to bring, as well as strategies for how they could sneak into the base, when she heard a knock at the door.

Lois wasn't expecting anyone, and wondered who could it be. She picked up Joel on instinct, not wanting to leave him alone for even a second after recent events.

She opened the front door, letting out a small gasp of surprise. "Daddy, what are you doing here?"

"Lois, I—I owe you an apology," he said solemnly, without preliminaries. "And I want to see my grandson."

Those words sent a rush of grateful joy through Lois. Tucking Joel closer to her side, she threw her other arm around her father. Her emotions were already running high, worried about Clark, so she found herself unable to speak a moment as tears filled her eyes.

"So, are you going to invite your father in?"

"Yes, of course. Come in, Daddy," she managed, wiping the tears from her cheeks. "Um, would you like something to drink?"

"No, thank you, Lois… I just want to talk to you a minute," he said, gesturing that they should sit in the living room.

"Okay," Lois said in some surprise. "But I can't take long. I have to be in Metropolis later," she said vaguely.

"That's all right. Just have a seat."

Lois sat down, adjusting Joel on her lap. She reached for a toy on the side table, then smiled at her father. "I thought you'd never speak to me again," she said in a low voice.

"I've had a change of heart recently," Sam admitted.

"What happened?" she asked, eyeing her father carefully.

"The Blur," he said, getting her attention. "He saved my life."

The same shadow that Sam had seen pass over Martha's face, crossed Lois'. Though hers looked more forlorn, hurt even. Martha had said that they were torturing prisoners. Had Lois seen any of that?

"And what about the VRA?" Lois managed to ask.

"Well, I'm not so sure it's a good idea anymore – especially if they are about capturing my grandson and imprisoning my future son-in-law."

Lois' gaze shot up and met her father's. "How – how did you know?"

Sam sighed. "Martha Kent told me."

Lois nodded, processing that. "Everything?" she asked, letting out a puff of air.

"She told me enough to need to come here. What did you see, Lois? What are they doing with Clark?"

Lois bit her lip, like she used to do as a child when she was upset, and it tore at Sam's heart. He reached across the coffee table, putting his hand on his daughter's shoulder. "I know what he means to you, Lois. I want to help."

"I can't tell you everything," she whispered, torn. She could believe that her father was willing to help her get Clark back – but could she trust him with his secret?

"Lois, I know," he said firmly. When Lois stared blankly at him, he made himself clear. "I know Clark's the Blur."

"You—you do?" she asked, feeling faint.

Sam nodded. "And I need to know what they are doing to him… and why. I promise – I just want to help."

Lois swallowed, thinking, her mind racing. She eventually let out a deep breath, feeling resolved. "In for a penny?"

"In for a pound," her father responded, in an old childhood expression they had used to mean they were all in on something.

Lois nodded, then kissed her son's forehead. "I had to trade my fiancé for my son," she said eventually, her voice rising as she held back tears. "Daddy, I know you raised me to believe in this country and the military – and I still do. Well, I want to. But what they are doing to the heroes—"

"Lois, what did you see? What did they do to Clark?"

"It's the green meteor rock," she got out in a whisper, tears filling her eyes as images of Clark in agony assaulted her. "Clark is—special. And many things can't hurt him. But this special meteor rock… it could kill him."

Sam thought about that a moment, and Lois thought she could see memories flicker across her father's face of wrongs he'd witnessed in his time. As a child, she had always believed her father was a hero, could fix all the world's wrongs. Part of her still wanted to believe that.

Sam shook his head, his eyebrows knotted in concern. "I'm sorry you had to see that, Lois. Nothing is worse than seeing those you love hurt."

"They are taking him to Fort Abrams, Daddy," she said, sitting up and wiping her tears, suddenly feeling hopeful again. "You and I know that base inside and out… I don't know when, though."

Sam nodded. "I can find out."

"Daddy, that would be wonderful, but that's all I need. Don't do anything else. I mean – if you got caught helping us—"

"Us?"

She smiled shyly, "Well, yeah—let's just say I know some pretty special friends. But if you got caught—"

"I'll do my job from the inside, Lois. I know it must be Slade Wilson who is behind the torture. All we need is proof, and I'll gladly testify against that bastard. I've suspected he was up to more than just his patriotic duty with the VRA. This just proves it."

Lois smiled, fully this time. "Welcome to our side, Daddy."

~L&C~

Clark groaned as he awoke. He was being taken somewhere…

He hadn't remembered being moved, but he was definitely in a high tech van of some sort. A green glow circled the edges of the confined space, a moving liquid in a tube, keeping him immobile. Clark felt weak and sweaty. He tried to remember what had happened… but all he had were vague memories of being questioned and then tortured with kryptonite.

Clark tried to access any of his powers, but failed at every attempt. He thought it must have been three or four days since they had captured him… and over half of that time he had spent exposed to the green meteor rock. No wonder he was so helpless…

He had a headache, and his muscles felt sore and heavy. Clark couldn't remember eating or drinking much either. He felt slightly nauseous, and he wondered how long his body could take this assault. Did they intend to kill him?

"Lois…" Her name slipped out of his lips like a prayer. He knew she had to be working with the Team at Watchtower to get him back, but he wasn't sure if they could succeed. He didn't want her to be put in any danger, nor risk anyone coming after their son again.

Clark fought against the urge to despair, knowing that General Wilson already knew too much about him… and they had already threatened his family. Clark indulged in a fantasy for just a moment, imagining burning that hellhole in Alaska down to the ground. He wasn't sure what he wanted to do with General Wilson, but he definitely wanted justice.

He sighed, uncomfortable on the cold steel table they had tied him to. It was like he was an animal, to be experimented on and bent to General Wilson's will. It was Clark's worse nightmare come true.

Clark closed his eyes… maybe not his worst. At least Lois and his son were safe. He could endure anything, as long as they remained okay.

He hoped he could, anyway.

The van was slowing down. When they stopped, the green meteor rock grew brighter around him, to weaken him. Clark felt bile rise in his throat, as he waited for what they would do next to him.

Clark could hear footsteps, and for one delusional moment, he thought maybe his powers were coming back. He hoped desperately that the doors would open and that sunlight would spill inside, renewing him against the relentless exposure of the kryptonite.

But the doors opened inside a compound of some sort. Clark felt despondency wash over him, as he wasn't even given the chance to feel any relief from the green meteor rock. Two soldiers flipped him on his stomach and cuffed him with special meteor rock filled handcuffs.

They helped him off the table, forcing him to walk. As they stepped out of the van, Clark looked around, noticing they were in some sort of lab. As he looked closer, he felt an eerie sense of déja vu. He recognized some of the equipment around them. Meteor rock stood in glass jars on a table, and Clark saw the imprint of 'Cadmus Labs' on one of the shelves.

"Lex," he whispered. As Lois' name had been like a prayer on his lips a few moments ago, Lex's was a curse. Was he somehow behind all of this?

Wilson appeared in front of Clark. "What do you think of all this, hmm?" he said, gesturing to the technicians and experiments going on around him. "Take a good look… this is how we learned about you. Thanks to Lex Luthor's research, we were able to learn all of your strengths and weaknesses."

Wilson leaned in closer to Clark, a sinister smile on his face. "All you have to do is Uncle Sam's bidding, any time, day or night, and your suffering will end."

"I cannot believe this is condoned by the military… we are in a lab—"

Wilson nodded. "That's right. This was constructed under Fort Abrams. Luthorcorp gave over its research to the US military – and once the VRA passes, you're mine."

Clark shook his head, feeling confused and unsure. The green kryptonite was playing with his mind, surely. He couldn't imagine that Lex had known this much about him… never mind give away these secrets to the government. Lex would have wanted the knowledge all to himself.

"Did Lex know—about me?" Clark found himself asking.

Wilson clapped Clark on the back, leading him to a small cell, in the far corner of the lab. "Oh, not everything, no. But he laid the groundwork."

Something Wilson had said stuck with Clark, though he was too dizzy to focus on it… It had been about the VRA… if it passes—

"None of this is legal, is it? Not without that Bill…"

Wilson shut the cell door on Clark, his semi-friendly demeanor gone. "This is war… your kind against the human race. And laws can be written to suit history."

Wilson nodded at an assistant who flipped a switch. A glowing surge of green meteor rock flooded the small cell as its power was intensified. Clark groaned in protest, his whole body feeling like it was on fire. Eventually, the pain became too great. Through the blinding haze of pain, Clark watched Wilson walk away…and Clark's world suddenly became black.

~L&C~

Sam let Lois blindfold him on the way to Watchtower, partly because he understood the need for him not to have knowledge of where it was located. And partly, because he wanted to earn her trust back.

She didn't say much on the way into Metropolis, and her answers were brief when he asked questions. He mainly asked about Clark – working with him, living with him. She was reluctant to share things about his Blur-related activities or abilities, but she was happy to talk about the man himself.

"He's different from anyone I ever dated… I used to think I needed excitement and danger, and I guess in some ways, I get that with Clark, too. But there's a steadiness to him, an assurance – that I need more," she said, her voice going quieter. "He's the stability I never had. And I don't blame you or Mom," she hastily added. "It's just, with Clark… I just know that he'll always be there for me. And I'll always be there for him."

"That's how I felt about your mother, Lo'," Sam admitted. "She was my rock… and I'm sorry for all the times I couldn't be there for you."

"No, Daddy, it's okay—"

"Lois," he said sternly, in a voice that brooked no argument. "Let me finish. I am sorry… I know I missed a lot of your and Lucy's childhood. And I understand that Clark's life might come with similar-responsibilities like I had. Are you sure you'll be happy with him?"

Lois pulled into a parking space in the parking garage under Watchtower. Her father was still blindfolded, but she marveled at how much he could see – and yet still not get it. "I always thought that we were left behind – Mom, Lucy, and I. And I told myself for years that I never wanted to be left behind again. But then I remember—when you'd come home, we'd barbeque or play board games, or you and Mom would go off somewhere… and I realized, you needed us to recharge. You needed our stability, our love, to do what you do, right?"

Sam held out his hand and Lois took it. He kissed her hand in a sweet, solemn gesture. "You have no idea, Lois, what it was like, seeing you girls after the hell of a deployment," he said, his voice cracking, and Lois thought it might have been the first and only time she had seen her father near tears, though she couldn't see his eyes.

"That's what I want to be for Clark. I know that now. I understand that, now. And I know I can still be my own person, have my own career, too. But I know he needs that – probably now more than ever," she said, thinking about what Wilson could be doing to him.

Sam squeezed his daughter's hand in his. "Then let's go to this secret hideout of yours and figure out how we'll rescue him. Besides, I'm kinda getting sick of this bandana."

Lois smiled through her teary eyes. "Let's go."

~L&C~

Lois stepped into Watchtower, Joel on her hip. The heroes were assembled by the main computer, starting to form a plan to get Clark out of Fort Abrams.

"Um, guys?" Lois said shyly. "I know you're going to kill me for this… but, um, I kind of brought someone along who really wants to help."

Everyone turned towards Lois, looking at her with a mix of expectancy and trepidation.

"Lois, you can't just bring anyone into Watchtower," Chloe admonished.

"I know. And he's not just anyone," she said, turning to peek around the door. "He's my dad."

Sam stepped in, taking off his blindfold. He was struck dumb for a moment, taking in the space, and the small band of heroes that stood before him. He held up the bandana. "Lois had me wear this all the way from Smallville, I swear… And I do want to help."

Lois could sense uncertainty radiating from certain members of the team, and she wanted to do what she could to mitigate the damage. "Dad knows Fort Abrams better than anyone – well, except maybe me. But I know he'll be an asset."

Chloe smiled, and hurried over to Sam to greet her uncle, standing in solidarity between him and Lois. "I'm glad you're here. We could use your knowledge of the military on this mission."

"And the VRA?" Oliver asked, glancing warily at General Lane.

"I had no idea what they were really about," Sam admitted humbly. "I will do what I can to put a stop to it, you can count on that."

Oliver weighed the honesty of those words. His eyes met Chloe's and then Lois'. Lois hoped Oliver would see and accept her earnest faith in her father. After another moment, Oliver stepped over to Sam Lane, offering his hand.

"Welcome to the Team, sir."


	9. Chapter 9

General Sam Lane waited patiently as the heroes described how they could break into Fort Abrams. He hung back, listening to and assessing their plans – thinking their ideas were idealist at best and foolhardy at worst. When they came to a pause, he stepped forward.

"I appreciate that you want to get your friend back, and that many of you have special abilities that can be very helpful," he began diplomatically.

"But?" Lois interrupted, perhaps sensing where this was going.

"But, it doesn't have to be that hard. I can drive you all onto Base."

"But Sir, if you're caught—" Oliver interjected.

Sam nodded. "I know. I could lose everything. But I know Fort Abrams – and they know me. They won't question it.

"We should still do it in the evening, so it will be easier to move about the facility," Oliver added. "Thank you, General."

"Sam, any idea where they might actually be holding Clark?" Chloe asked.

Sam thought a moment. "There's a military brig, towards the back of the base. But if General Wilson is not playing everything on the up and up, I highly doubt they'd take him there. More likely, I know there was rumor of an underground facility being built, though it was unclear to what purpose. I know I heard Luthorcorp tied to whatever it was they were building—"

"Luthorcorp?" Lois asked nervously. "That doesn't sound good."

"I hadn't thought much of it at the time. There had been a few joint projects here and there with the military and Luthorcorp – especially with Fort Abram's tie to Smallville. But perhaps there was some significance to it. Anyway, I think you should start there."

Oliver nodded. "All right. So we go in under cover at night…"

~L&C~

Lois sat with Chloe in Watchtower the next evening, keeping an eye on the progress of the heroes. Lois had been reluctantly sidelined for this mission, though she understood why. She needed to stay safe for Joel's sake.

She held him in her lap, while he quietly played with his favorite giraffe, a token that Lois had carried in her purse ever since he had been kidnapped. Now it gave her a comfort to see the little toy, which had looked so forlorn without Joel to play with it, smooshed and snuggled up against her son's face. She kissed his head, grateful to have him there. But, despite her joy at having Joel returned, her thoughts kept turning to Clark. She longed for him to be returned to them already.

Chloe was busy accessing cameras and pulling up maps. Thanks to Sam Lane, she had legitimate access codes for some of the sites she was using.

"I tell you what Lois, I didn't expect it would be my uncle, _your dad_ who would be saving the day."

Lois smiled. "I did… I mean, I at least hoped so. He was my first real hero, you know."

Chloe smiled at her in return. "I know. Mine too. Still, he's risking a lot to do this."

"Yes, but he understands the risks. And he knows the reasons as well."

"Are you sure it will be okay that he knows Clark is the Blur?" Chloe asked, keeping her eyes on the screen as she typed.

Lois sighed. "It has to be okay. Besides, once he sees what General Wilson is capable of, he will be the only voice the government will listen to. Dad has to see what's going on there so he can take down Wilson."

"You mean, he'll testify against him?" Chloe asked in some surprise.

"That's what Dad hinted at," Lois nodded, shifting Joel to a more comfortable position on her lap. "If Dad testifies before Congress about General Wilson and against the VRA – it could be a strong enough voice to stop this nonsense in its tracks."

Chloe sighed. "Well, let's just hope that we manage to get Clark back tonight. This mission has to go perfectly."

~L&C~

General Sam Lane had served almost thirty-four years in the military. He had earned the respect of his colleagues and even received a Medal of Honor from the President of the United States. His integrity was unquestioned in the armed forces.

Yet as he pulled up to Fort Abrams that night, he felt a nervous excitement that was close to making him nauseous. None of his missions in 'Nam had ever made him this anxious. He knew what he was risking bringing these kids illegally on base – his entire reputation was on the line.

But Sam had always believed in doing the right thing. It's what he had taught his girls, and he wasn't about to fail Lois now. He had been wrong to judge Clark Kent so harshly, and seeing how much his daughter loved him – well, it had reminded Sam of what he had felt for his wife.

He owed it to the memory of that love, as well as to his daughter, to bring Clark Kent home.

Sam had given the Team a layout of the main office buildings, where the facility Sam had known about had been built. Oliver convinced him, back at Watchtower, that he shouldn't go with them to find Clark. Sam just needed to give them access – and then provide an escape route.

Sam would go into his office, wait thirty minutes, and then report back to the vehicle – hopefully with Clark in tow.

Sam saluted the guard at the entrance as he drove onto base. He didn't even have to show his badge anymore, he was so well known there. Oliver, AC and Bart lay in the back of Sam's SUV, hidden by the tinted windows and the cover of darkness. Sam knew that all it would take is one routine check of his vehicle, and he'd be in trouble. But he also knew that he was implicitly trusted here, and he was the Team's best bet for getting on base.

Sam glanced in his rearview mirror, seeing the hood of Oliver's uniform. He shook his head, surprising himself that he was going to go through with this to help these vigilantes – or heroes, as Lois called them. Yet, he admired their spirit. After spending some time with them at Watchtower, Sam saw the same sort of desire to fight for truth and justice that had driven him as a young sergeant. He hadn't wanted to admit it, but perhaps he wasn't so different from Lois' friends after all.

Sam pulled into his parking spot, once more glancing in the mirror. "Remember, wait five minutes before exiting the car. I'll meet you back here at—" he glanced at his watch. "21:40, got that?"

"And we should head to the back of the building, by those trees?" Oliver clarified.

Sam nodded. "Yeah. There was some controversy about there being no cameras on that side of the building because the trees were too thick. And then some liberal went up in arms about how old the oaks were and couldn't be cut down—" Sam paused in his explanation, waving his arm to dismiss the matter. "Anyway, there are no cameras over there. At exactly 21:10 I'll buzz you in from my office, to get inside. I can't access security cameras inside the building, but I'll keep the guard distracted long enough that you can get to the stairs. I can't get you access further than that, though. If there are locked doors – which is highly likely- you're on your own," Sam explained, hoping the kids understood his limits in this operation.

"Got it," Oliver said confidently, glancing at his phone.  
"Chloe set me up with a feed to a few cameras around the base. We'll at least know if anyone is coming after us, if nothing else."

"One more thing—I want to nail this son of a *****, Wilson. I've heard rumors of his abuses in Afghanistan, but there was never any proof. If you can, take photos of whatever he's got going on down there. I promise to keep Clark's identity a secret."

"I'll take care of that," Bart volunteered. "I've been wanting to try out my sweet new phone."

"OK, good luck everyone."

~L&C~

How long had it been since General Wilson had trapped him in that cage?

A week? A month?

Longer?

Clark didn't know anymore. All he knew was that, every day, Slade came into his cell, demanding to know more information – about his abilities, about his friends, about his son. And Clark simply refused to tell him anything.

Then, the Kryptonite would increase, causing Clark to fall over in pain. When Slade wasn't torturing him, the green meteor rock was still present, in lighter doses. Clark thought he even saw it in the meager food they offered him. Though he wasn't sure if he was just a bit delusional and imagined it; everything around him seemed tinged with that sickly green color. He thought he might be a bit fevered, because he couldn't think clearly, and he felt cold… so cold.

The last time he had seen Slade had been the worst. His back burned even more than his muscles, as Slade had seen fit to try and whip him into submission. Clark had already been weak, but after that last bout, he wasn't sure how much longer he could take this- could keep going.

They hadn't even let him bathe, and had only given him a bucket for a toilet, not that he needed it much. He was given only one glass of water a day… just enough to keep him alive. But just barely, it seemed.

The constant exposure to Kryptonite was wearing on Clark, little by little. It felt like a constant burn in his muscles, even his eyes hurt to open now.

But Clark refused to speak. He let Wilson torture him, knowing that it was better that he suffer than Lois, or especially Joel…

Lying there in the dark, with only an eerie glow of green surrounding him for company, he thought about Lois and Joel. His thoughts were his only solace.

His memories were like pages in a scrapbook, each image a small comfort and small reminder why he needed to find a way through this… Like how Lois had always been there for him, in ways he hadn't been ready to acknowledge at the time. How Lois had seen him for who he was without even knowing the truth about him.

Little, inconsequential moments came back to him, hitting his soul like a summer rain, cooling away the pain for just a brief respite.

Lois, holding him as he wept when he thought Lana had left him.  
Lois, encouraging him to apply for work at the Planet.

Kissing Lois, in a red Kryptonite haze…

Lois, perched on his desk, telling him about how she had saved the day.

Lois, risking her own heart to reach out to him… even while he hid from her in the shadows.

Lois, believing in the Blur – speaking to him as if she could see to the very soul of him.

And Lois, dealing with his truth and birthing their child. Done with the same indomitable spirit and passion that she did everything.

Her smile… her strawberry shampoo. Her lips… Memories of her comforted him and made Clark believe that somehow, she'd find a way to rescue him. Because she had never given up on him – and he knew, never would.

~L&C~

Clark heard his name being called. He had passed out sometime after Slade had left his cell, his back raw from being whipped… how long had he been out of it?

"Clark?"

There it was again. Who was calling him?

Clark tried to sit up, but a cough wracked his body, his muscles weakened and strained.

"Jesus, what did they do to you, Clark?"

_Oliver… was that Oliver? _Clark tried to say his name.

"I'm here, buddy. We just got to shut this system down…"

It seemed like forever. Clark heard footsteps, and some more talking, but he couldn't focus on what they were saying.

"…tied to an alarm…"

"…really bad, Chloe. Tell Lois…"

Then, there was a downward hum, as the room they were in plunged into darkness, save for the otherworldly glow of the green meteor rock.

"…didn't do anything… we gotta move…"

Clark felt himself being lifted, his arms around Oliver and AC as they dragged him out of the cage. "…like lead…"

"Steel," Clark heard himself say.

Clark could barely move, but he understood the urgency to get out of there. He had no strength, and knew that he had to try to help Oliver and AC move him.

"…only one flight up, okay Boy Scout?"

Clark nodded, struggling to move up the steps.

"Coast is clear…no alarms. Just this building is dark." Clark thought that was Bart's voice. "Got pics, too."

Every footstep was painful, Clark's muscles still burning from the exposure, his back unable to heal. He had never been exposed that long to meteor rock… "Daylight?" he asked, suddenly craving sunshine like a parched man craves water.

"No…a few more steps…"

The cool night air hit his body. He coughed, breathing fresh air into his lungs after so long in that basement.

"…this way…"

Clark saw a dark van. It looked vaguely familiar, but he had no presence of mind to process where he had seen it.

He was roughly hauled inside by his friends, lying down on the back seat. The cool leather felt comforting against his skin.  
His energy was spent… he was safe. Now he could sleep.

~L&C~

Sam let out a breath of air when they got out of the vicinity of the base. No one spoke a word until then.

"How is he?" Sam asked, glancing in the rearview mirror, though not seeing much.

"Pretty bad… I wish we could take him to a hospital," Oliver commented.

"No hospitals…" Clark mumbled.

"What happened to the power supply? Everything just shut down."

"The stupid kid running security," explained Sam in some surprise. "I went to talk to him, hoping just to distract him from checking the cameras, and he knocked his soda over. I ran to get him a towel, and then saw my chance. There was a reset button for the power grid to the whole building, right where he had spilled the soda. So I reached over and hit it. Bought us ten minutes."

Oliver shook his head. "That's some stupid luck there."

"No, it's _Lane_ luck," Sam corrected. "My Lois, I know, has it in spades."

Oliver laughed lightly. "I guess you're right."

"Lois…" Clark murmured, still in a haze from the exposure.

"Is he going to be all right?" Sam asked worriedly, glancing again in the rearview mirror.

"I don't know. I've seen him exposed to meteor rock before, but never like this."

"Hmmm," Sam said thoughtfully. "You got those pictures, son? Someone's going to pay for this. I'll see to that."

~L&C~

"They got him!" Chloe said triumphantly, hanging up her cell.

Lois hugged her cousin. "Really? There was no trouble?"

Chloe paused, recalling what else Oliver had told her on the phone. "Not in getting out of there. But Lois… you should prepare yourself."

"For what?" she asked warily, though Chloe suspected she already knew for what. Lois had told her what she had seen.

"He's pretty bad off, Lois. Your dad is heading to the farm."

Lois started gathering Joel's things. "Well, I can't beat them there, but I want to see Clark."

Chloe nodded. "I know. I do too. At least, now it's over."

"Are you kidding me?" Lois asked, looking almost angry. "General Wilson will pay for whatever he's done to Clark. Mark my word."

~L&C~

The farmhouse was quiet when Lois pulled in the driveway.

Joel was asleep in his car seat as well. When Lois killed the engine, she sat there a moment, listening to the crickets—and preparing herself to see Clark.

Her father's SUV was still there. She didn't know why he had stayed. As soon as Slade learned Clark had escaped, surely this is where they'd come first, wouldn't they? And then her father would have a lot of explaining to do.

Lois got Joel, who didn't even wake up as she carried him into the house. The kitchen light was on, and her father was standing there, in his military fatigues.

"He's been asking for you," Sam said in a low voice. He reached for his grandson. "I'll take him upstairs. Chloe rang, said she'd be here soon. Clark is on the sofa…" he said, nodding towards the living room.

"How—bad is it?" Lois asked, passing Joel to his grandfather.  
Sam held Joel a minute, realizing it was the first moment he had held his grandson. "I—Lois, I'm so sorry I didn't listen to you," he said quietly.

Lois touched her father's arm. "I'm just thankful that you're here… and that you got Clark back."

Sam nodded. "Go on, Lo'. He needs you."

~L&C~

Sam took his grandson upstairs, though he wasn't ready to tuck him into his crib just yet.

There was a rocking chair in the corner of Lois' room, and he took a seat, settling Joel onto his chest.

"It's been a crazy few weeks, hasn't it kiddo?" Sam said, gently rocking in the chair, moonlight spilling in through the window beside them. He hadn't bothered turning on a light, not wanting to disturb the little tyke's sleep.

"I haven't held a baby since Lucy was little," he whispered to his grandson. "Who's Lucy? Well, she's your aunt… you'll meet her eventually. To tell you the truth, you should've met her by now. And you would have, too, if I hadn't been such a fool. I'm sorry about what happened to you – and to your father. None of you deserved that… And I wonder-well, I know it's in the past, but—I wonder if I hadn't been a stubborn old fool, if any of this would have happened at all."

Sam got up, ready to lay his grandson in his crib. "I'm pretty tuckered out, too. You go on to sleep now… and know that there's a house full of people that love you. Good night."

~L&C~

Lois slowly made her way into the living room. The room was dark, though she could make out Clark's shape on the sofa. He was wearing a dark t-shirt and jeans, lying on his stomach. He appeared to be sleeping, though his breathing was rough, and she heard him cough every now and then.

"Lois…" he whispered, so that she barely heard him. But it was enough. Whatever she had feared about seeing him like this vanished when she heard him call for her.

She sat beside him, taking his hand in hers. "I'm here," she said softly.

His hand was weak in hers, and the weakness brought tears to her eyes. She lifted his hand to her cheek. "Oh, Clark. What did they do to you?"

She recognized that he was wearing the same clothes he had been captured in. He needed a shower as well, as he reeked of sweat and a sickly smell that she couldn't quite name. In the dim light, his t-shirt seemed soaked through. She knew he was exhausted, but perhaps she could help make him a bit more comfortable. Lois touched his back, to tell him she was going to help him change clothes, then she paused. His shirt was wet through, with something other than sweat.

She reached over and turned on the table lamp, a shocked gasp escaping her lips as she saw his back. "Clark! Oh, Clark…" she said softer, taking in just how badly off he was. She wasn't sure he was asleep, but his eyes were closed.

He coughed again, and reached for her hand. "Lois…"

She gave her hand to him, as her throat constricted with sadness, and then anger. "I'm here, Clark… Don't worry, you're safe now," she whispered.

She saw her father's shadow on the stairs and he paused in the living room.

"Daddy, did you see what they did to him?" she said, her voice choking on her anger.

Sam came over to inspect Clark, keeping any emotional reaction hidden. "We've got to get him cleaned up, Lo'," Sam answered practically. "I didn't know he was this bad off when I brought him inside."

Lois nodded, standing up, ready to take orders. Her father had always been good in a crisis.

"Get a large bowl of warm water, and some rags. Bring him some fresh clothes. I'll help you change him and get him cleaned up," Sam said calmly.

Lois didn't trust herself to speak, but simply gave her father a hug before heading upstairs to get Clark some clean clothes.

Hot tears sprung in her eyes as she climbed the stairs, as outrage and shock took over. She couldn't believe what Slade had done to Clark. No one deserved to be treated like that, like an animal. To calm herself, Lois thought up a headline she would write to put General Wilson in his place, all the while grabbing things to get Clark clean and comfortable again.

_Gruesome General Sees Justice_

Slimy Slade Sent to Jail

VRA Not Passed, General Found Guilty of Torture

Lois hurried down the stairs, moving into the kitchen to get a bowl of warm water. She then laid all her supplies on the living room chair, seeing that Sam had managed to get Clark out of his t-shirt and jeans.

"I got him as comfortable as I could, Lois. I think he may have a fever. I'll see if there's some ice in the freezer, and then I'll leave you to him," he said, laying a gentle hand on Lois' arm as she sat down. "This is going to take all your strength, Lois, to tend to him like this. Are you sure you're up for it? I'll stay if you want me to."

Lois shook her head. "It's okay, Daddy. You've done more than enough bringing him home… Just promise me one thing."

"Anything."

All of Lois' rage at the injustice done to Clark poured into one glance. "Make sure the VRA doesn't pass. And that General Wilson never sees the light of day again."

-

One more extra long part, and then there will be a break! In a few weeks, I'll bring you the third and final book, **Hidden Joys**.

Thanks for reading!


	10. Chapter 10

Extra long FINAL part. So savor it. Book Three: Hidden Joys, will be up in a few weeks!

Thanks for reading! Don't forget to drop a line and speculate on the next book!

-

Chloe arrived shortly after General Lane left, having stayed behind at Watchtower to meet Oliver. She found Lois on the stairs, trying to calm Joel.

"He can't be hungry, cause I've just fed him," Lois said, looking tired and distraught. "I need to tend to Clark—" she stopped midsentence, unable to finish.

"How bad is he, Lois?" Chloe said, coming to sit by her cousin. Clark was just a wall away, and though he seemed asleep, Lois didn't want to voice her worst fears.

She simply shook her head, tears in her eyes. "I just need to help him."

Chloe reached for Joel. "Here, let's see if I can help out. Go on. Take care of Clark. If I need you, I'll call you."

Lois gave her cousin a half hug as she handed over her son. "Thanks, cuz. I think maybe he just senses all the—everything, you know?" she said with a wave of her hand, encompassing everything from his kidnapping to Clark laying prostrate on the sofa in the other room.

Chloe nodded, and started heading up the stairs. "Don't worry, Lois. Just go take care of our hero in there," she said, nodding in the direction of the living room.

Lois forced a smile, and then turned, gathering the rest of her supplies before heading in the other room to take care of her fiancé. Seeing Clark lying there sent a lump of sadness to her throat. She took a steadying breath, knowing that breaking down in tears wasn't what Clark needed right now.

Lois' father had lain out some towels on the sofa and helped Lois to situate Clark a bit more comfortably before he left. He'd promised to check on them in the morning, and told Lois that first thing, he'd be in touch with Martha about how to stop the VRA and bring Wilson to justice.

The farmhouse was quiet now, save for Clark's labored breathing. Once Lois had her supplies laid out, she began tentatively washing him down, at first tending to the wounds on his back. Once the blood was cleaned up, it didn't look too terribly bad. But Clark flinched every time she touched his back, as she carefully put healing ointment on it. Lois hoped that tomorrow morning the sun would do more to restore him, but she wasn't about to wait until sunrise to help him. Besides, he had never been exposed this long to Kryptonite before. Who knew if his powers would return right away or not? Or...even at all?

She pushed that dark thought away as she continued to wash his arms and legs and face. He really needed a shower, but until he could move under his own power, a rag and some soapy water was the best she could do.

She carefully wiped around his face, at least the part she could get to, as he slept on his stomach. She felt his forehead, which still seemed warmer than normal. Still, Lois dipped a clean rag into a bow full of ice water, hoping to cool him down. She laid the cooler rag on his forehead, and continued to wipe down his body as he slept.

As her ministrations chased his muscles, down his legs, up his arms, she observed his body in a way she never had before, almost clinically. He was so strong, with raw power in his taught muscles that he held in check every day. The horrible injustice of what Wilson had done to him broke her heart, and Lois had to keep swiping at her eyes as tears blurred her vision. She was glad Clark was asleep now. She wanted to be strong for him, and she didn't want him to see her tears, lest he think she was pitying him.

Lois periodically took the bowl into the kitchen to rinse out and get fresh water. Around two in the morning, she put on a pot of coffee, determined to make it through the night, staying by Clark's side. She padded around the kitchen, knowing that Chloe was asleep by now, and she didn't want to wake Joel. With a bowl of fresh water in one hand, and a coffee cup in the other, Lois headed back into the living room to continue her vigil.

She sat the fresh water on the side table and sipped her coffee. Clark was mostly clean now, and she mainly wanted to use this new bowl of water to keep him cool. She stared at the welts on his back, and she once more felt sickened by the wrong that Wilson had done to him. Tears clouded her vision, partly too, because she was so tired.

Now and then Clark would murmur her name in his sleep. She'd reach for his hand and squeeze it, saying, "I'm here." She knew he was dreaming, but she hoped that he realized on some level that she was with him – and that he was safe.

That was the kicker, really. Clark did everything he could on a daily basis to make sure that Lois—and often the world- was safe, and for him to be so weak, so vulnerable – it made her hate Wilson all the more.

Clark became even more restless as the minutes ticked by. She checked the cloth she had laid on his forehead and it felt warm. Lois set it in the ice bowl and laid her own hand on his forehead. Clark was burning up! Lois hurried into the kitchen to get him a glass of water. She realized he was probably also dehydrated, and kicked herself for not realizing that sooner.

Lois carried a large glass of water over to him. "Clark. Clark? Can you hear me?" she said gently, touching his arm. "Wake up. You need to drink something."

"Uhm…" Clark mumbled, and she wasn't sure if he heard her.

"Please, Clark. Wake up," she said a bit more urgently, though softly. She tugged on his arm, hoping to rouse him awake.

"Wha…?" he said sleepily, his eyes slowly opening.

"You need to drink some water, Clark," Lois whispered, trying to keep the desperation out of her voice.

Clark sat up a little, and Lois helped him drink the glass of water.

"Lois…" he breathed out, sinking into the sofa once more.

Lois took the cloth from the ice water bowl once more and wiped his face. "Clark? Can you hear me?"

He had seemed to fall back asleep, though Lois worried about how to handle his fever. Should she give him a Tylenol? Would it even affect him? Would it hurt if she gave him one anyway?

These were questions she thought Martha could answer, but glancing at the clock, Lois wasn't sure if calling her at three AM was the thing to do – well, four AM since Martha was in Washington. Still… Lois knew Martha would forgive her, especially if it meant Clark's life.

That thought spurred Lois into action. She reached for her cellphone and dialed Martha. After half a dozen rings, Martha's sleepy voice answered.

"Hello?"

"Mrs. K," Lois said in a relieved voice.

"Lois? What's happened?" Martha answered suddenly sounding more awake.

Lois took a moment to respond, as she fought past the lump in her throat, speaking to Clark's mom. "We got him back," Lois eventually rejoined, as tears started to flow freely down her cheeks. "My dad helped."

"General Lane? Really? How is Clark then? I'm guessing not all that well if you're calling me so...late."

"I'm sorry about the late call, Mrs. K. It's just that—um, Clark. What they d—did to him…" Lois stammered, the emotions of the night getting to her. She felt so much relief at being able to speak to Martha about it, though at the same time, she didn't want to upset her. "I don't know how long he was exposed to the Kryptonite, but it's never been this bad before. And now… he's feverish, and I'm not sure what to do. I mean, can he take Tylenol? Will it hurt him?"

"Oh, Lois, sweetie… I wish I could be there. Um, I've never had to give him any medicine before. But I think it should be all right… How bad is he?"

Lois couldn't sugarcoat it. Martha had to know how horribly Wilson had treated her son. "They beat him, Mrs. K. And they kept him exposed to that meteor rock for who knows how long… I've never seen him this bad… But I have to go. I'll try the Tylenol and keep giving him liquids. I think he lost a lot of fluids…"

"Call me whenever you want, Lois. It doesn't matter what time. I want to know how Clark's doing… and you. Be sure you get some rest yourself tonight."

"I can't. He needs me right now, and I need him to get better. I'll be all right. Chloe will probably come in the morning to help with Joel. Take care."

Lois hung up the phone, and started on her new mission – to find Clark some Tylenol. She could hear him making uncomfortable noises in the living room, making her search more urgently.

When she found a bottle, she grabbed another glass of water and headed back into the living room.  
"Clark? Here, take this," she coaxed, helping him sit up enough to take the pills and drink.

He flopped back down onto the sofa with a thud, coughing once more. He seemed to have broken out in a sweat, which Lois took as a good sign. Though she noticed his sweat was tinged with green. Was his body purging the Kryptonite?

She hoped so. Lois took the rag once more and wiped Clark down, calming him in the process. "You're going to be fine, Smallville. You hear me? See? Your body is already getting rid of the toxins. That's a good sign, right?"

Lois found comfort in talking to him, and it seemed to help Clark get back to sleep as well. As his coughing fit subsided, she searched for topics to talk about, rambling on as much to keep herself awake as to comfort Clark.

"Joel is fine… Dad tucked him in before he left… You know my dad organized the mission to rescue you? He's going to do his best to see the VRA gets shut down – and Wilson along with it. I can't wait to write the article when that happens…" That thought brought up memories of her and Clark working together, and Lois felt another lump rise in her throat.

"It's been hell without you here, Smallville. I mean, I pretty much knew where you were… and AC figured out where they had taken you. I guess I knew all along that it was just a matter of time before we got you out of there… It's just… it was six days of pure hell, knowing you were suffering. Cause you've always seemed invulnerable to me… even before I knew your secret." Her head tilted thoughtfully, as this last thought was a surprise to her. "I never really realized it before… but it's true. I always knew you were the one to rely on when things got rough. And I do rely on you, Clark. Perhaps more than I should…"

Lois continued to gently rub the cloth along Clark's arms and legs, hoping to cool him from the fever. Then she squeezed water out of another cloth and gently dabbed at his back. "This is the worst of all, you know? Seeing you so…hurt. When I know how strong you are. It was so terribly wrong of Slade to do this to you, Clark." She wiped fresh tears from her cheeks. "I just hope we weren't too late… Cause I need you, Smallville. And so does our son. But, powers or no powers… just know that I love you."

Lois sat with Clark a long while, holding his hand and talking to him. After about another hour, exhausted, she got up to get fresh water to cool Clark down again. As she entered the kitchen, a light outside in the driveway caught her eye. At first, she feared that Slade, or someone working for him, had discovered Clark was missing and had come after him. She pulled back the curtain on the door, and then shook her head in disbelief, relieved at what she saw instead.

Her father's truck was still there. He was keeping watch, even though she had told him it was all right to go home. Lois didn't know what her father would do if Slade actually appeared there with a contingent of minions to steal Clark away again, but she was touched by the gesture…

She knew he wouldn't want her to worry – she had enough to worry about, taking care of Clark. And she was sure he'd leave in the morning, before anyone woke up to see he had stayed. But before she turned back to her own vigil at Clark's side, she couldn't help but whisper, "Thanks, Daddy."

~L&C~

It hurt to open his eyes…

Clark felt cold, and experimentally tried to move. He knew he wasn't in that cell anymore; he had vague memories of escaping with Oliver—but where had they taken him?

Clark tried to roll over, but his back was still raw from Slade's abuse. He felt weak and heavy, his limbs like lead weights as he tried to shift around to see where he was. When he couldn't flip over on his back, he shifted so he was leaning on his other side.

Home. He had made it home…

The living room was rather dark, though Clark could see a beam of light through the curtains. He wished he could will himself to get up and sit in its nourishing rays, but he could barely move, he was so weak.  
As his eyes flittered around the room, adjusting to the dark, he saw Lois, curled up on the chair to the right of the sofa, above his head. She was fast asleep, a rag in her hand, and a coffee stain on her t-shirt. He thought she had never looked more beautiful – he knew she had taken care of him, probably through most of the night.

He realized he had thought he was dreaming, that Lois was tending his wounds and holding his hand in his dreams. But she had really been there, taking care of him. His heart swelled with love for her, and relief that his friends had managed to get him out and bring him home, to her.

Clark didn't want to wake her, knowing she needed to sleep. He suddenly heard his son's cry. Clark tried to shift to a sitting position, but immediately felt dizzy. He plopped back down on the sofa, and softly whispered Lois' name.

"Hmmm," she murmured, shifting her position on the chair.

"Lois… Joel's awake."

"Huh?" she said, her eyes finally opening. Then when she saw Clark's dear face staring back at her, she leaped from her chair to reach for him. "Clark! You're awake! How do you feel?"

He groaned as he moved to sit up a bit. "I can barely move. I think this must be what the flu feels like. If I try to get up, I feel dizzy."

"You need to drink some water. I'll go get you a nice cold glass, okay?" She started towards the kitchen. "Joel's awake… but I think I hear Chloe. She'll take care of him."

Clark sighed as he settled into the sofa again. He lifted his hand, experimentally squeezing his fist, shocked at how weak he felt.

Lois came back in the living room a minute later and helped him drink some water. "It's a sunny day," she whispered. "How about we try a little sun therapy?"

Clark nodded. Lois got up and opened a curtain and turned around Jonathan Kent's favorite old chair to face the window. Lois grabbed an empty bowl from the night before, and set it down on the coffee table between where Clark was and his destination. "Just in case," she said wryly, knowing he was feeling nauseous.

She came back over to him and helped him sit up. Clark slung his arm around her shoulder, and she carefully wrapped her arm around his back, trying to avoid his injuries. She swung her other arm around his torso, unable to resist giving him a hug. "Let's get you well, Smallville," she said in a small voice, and he thought he could hear the threat of tears.

He leaned his head against hers for a moment, releasing a sigh. "I'm just glad to be home. With you."

"Well, you can lean on me for strength," she said with a smile, quoting him… that time seemed so long ago now, and even though they had had their own secrets and worries, they had both had their health.

Clark hugged her to him, kissing her hair. "You are my strength, Lois," he said earnestly. "You and Joel… only thoughts of you got me through that ordeal."

"Oh, Clark… I felt so guilty, leaving you there with that madman," Lois admitted.

"You had to, Lois. For Joel. You did the right thing," Clark glanced over his shoulder. "But he's starting to cry up a storm. Are you sure Chloe's awake?"

"I thought I heard her. But he sounds hungry. I'd better go upstairs. I'll be back in a minute," Lois said, gently untangling herself from Clark's arms. "Stay put," she admonished, before dashing up the stairs.

Clark smirked at her admonishment, but the truth was, he hated feeling this helpless. He judged the distance between the sofa and the chair… it wasn't that far. And he hadn't felt as dizzy when Lois had helped him sit up just now.

Clark sat up again, feeling a little better than when he had first woken up, but still a bit dizzy. Ah, but that sun was calling out to him. There was plenty of furniture to hold onto on the way.

Having made his mind up, Clark stood, leaning over the sofa to grip the edge. His legs felt wobbly, weakened from the Kryptonite. Clark made one step away from the sofa, letting go, and he felt himself start to topple. He reached for the coffee table, but it was too low, and he crashed down onto the floor, certain he wouldn't be able to stand up again under his own power.

"Clark? Are you all right?" he heard Lois ask him a few minutes later. "Just a second, I'll help you." He saw her set Joel in his playpen in the corner and then she was by his side again. "Why didn't you wait till I came back?"

Clark shrugged. "Stupid pride, I guess?"

She gave him a wry smile, then helped shift him so she could get him to his feet again. He wrapped his arm over her shoulders and she had her arm around his waist, below the worst of his sores. They were in a crouched position and then Lois said. "OK, on three we'll stand up. One, two—"

They managed it, though Lois stumbled under Clark's weight a bit. "OK, now baby steps."

They inched themselves along until, at last, they were by the chair. Clark grabbed onto the back of the chair and then slowly made his way to sit in it. As he settled under the rays of the sun, he let out a luxurious sigh. "I don't know if it's working yet, but I do feel better."

Lois patted his shoulder and then turned towards Joel to feed him.

~L&C~

After about twenty minutes in the sun, Clark grew frustrated. He was used to being immediately healed by the yellow sun's rays, yet he wasn't recovering—at least not in the same way. He felt more normal, and thought he could probably walk on his own, but he didn't feel that bit of extra that made him—_him. _How much damage had that long exposure to Kryptonite done?

Lois came over with Joel, content after his breakfast. "How are you feeling?"

"Better but not – great."

"Give it time… you wanna see your son?" she asked, passing a freshly diapered Joel onto his lap.

"Yes, please," answered Clark with a smile. "Hey, buddy… Wow, I know it's only been about a week since I saw him, but he's getting bigger…And is everything okay, do you think? Did he have any exposure to meteor rock in there?"

"Actually—the blue meteor rock. He somehow got a hold of my bracelet before they took him. Clark, it saved him. They couldn't trace anything—special about him at all. It rendered him human."

Clark sighed and kissed his son's head. "Thank goodness for small mercies."

"But let him sit in the sun with you for a bit… It might do you both some good," Lois said with a wink.

~L&C~

"I'd like to speak to Senator Kent, please." Sam Lane was on his cellphone, on the way back from the Kent farm. Bart had given him the photos of the facility last night, and Sam couldn't believe what he had seen. Cages set up for animals – although they were intended for humans.

"This is Senator Kent," Martha said formally, coming on the line.

"Mrs. Kent, this is Sam Lane. I just wanted you to know that your son is safe and home."

"I know. Lois called me at four this morning. Thank you so much, for whatever you did to help him."

"I just did what was right, Martha. But there's something else I need your help with."

"Sure. What can I do?"

"I need to make a formal plea to vote down the VRA. And I need you to help me court-martial General Slade Wilson for torture."

~L&C~

_Pain burned through him like an unrelenting fire. Green poison suffused the light around him, and in the shadows, General Wilson stood, mocking him._

_Clark glanced up through the bars, refusing to answer the sadistic man's questions. As pain seared him, a bright light flashed before him, showing him the strange mark once more on Slade's forehead._  
_A mark of deception, of darkness… taunting him that the evil was still out there._

Clark awoke with a gasp, his body drenched in a cold sweat, something he had rarely experienced.

"Clark?" came Lois' sleepy voice beside him.

As Clark realized he was home and no longer in that torturous cell, he sighed heavily. Lois sat up in bed, rolling over to face him. "Are you all right?"

Clark flopped onto his stomach, disturbed by his dream, which was closer to a memory. He closed his eyes, but all he could see was that symbol on Slade's skull.

"Clark? Talk to me… what did you dream?" Lois asked gently, reaching for his hand.

He shifted onto his side to face her. "I saw something… on Slade, like a mark of evil. I—I don't know if I can fight it."

"Slade will get what he deserves for what he did to you, Clark. My father will see to that," she said reassuringly. "You heard him this afternoon. His testimony in Congress will assure that Wilson will be court-martialed in short order."

Clark sighed, admiring his beautiful fiancée in the moonlight, her brown tresses pulled back in a braid that draped over her shoulder. He longed to make love to her, to drive out the fears that consumed him… He had stayed in the sun all day, and although he felt much better, none of his powers had returned. And he worried how he would face this darkness that had infected Slade if his powers never came back…

"I just don't know if it will be enough, Lois. There's something out there, something dark and evil that I am not sure how to fight… or if I can fight." Lois settled into the bed, and Clark pulled her into his chest, spooning her. "I just don't know what to do if my powers don't return," he said softly, voicing his worst fear.

"But they will," she reassured him. "You've already healed remarkably in just a day."

"It's not enough…the welts are still on my back… and as much as a burden my powers have been to me, they are a part of me. I feel—less whole without them," he whispered sadly, his breath tickling her hair.  
She turned in his arms, laying her palm gently against his face. "Clark, you are more than your powers… I don't know how to make you see that." She kissed him gently. "And they will come back—"

"What if they—"

She interrupted him with another kiss. "They will."

~L&C~

Clark was moody the next morning. There was a rainstorm outside, blocking the sun. He sighed as he poured himself a cup of coffee. Lois was upstairs, getting Joel ready for the day.

Clark felt like hiding, unable to face the weakness in himself. He knew he needed to be patient, as he had definitely recovered a bit yesterday, sitting in the sun all afternoon. But not having his powers made him feel anxious. It's not like he'd never lost them before, but he had always recovered them fairly quickly. He could sense that this wasn't going to be as fast a recovery, and that bothered him more than he was comfortable.

He glanced at the Daily Planet newspaper he had picked up from the front porch. He missed working at the paper. Lois had suggested this morning that getting back to work would help him take his mind off things, but he thought it would do just the opposite. He'd see all those stories about people needing help, and he'd only feel useless that he couldn't do anything to save them. Already there had been some speculating in other media over where the Blur had been these last two weeks… Clark could barely face the question of what would happen if the Blur never returned.

And with the darkness out there, he needed his powers more than ever to fight it…

~L&C~

Lois was worried about Clark. He was moody and pensive, and she knew it was because of his slow recovery. She glanced outside as she changed Joel's diaper, seeing how hard it was pouring down rain. It didn't look like it would let up any time soon, either.

She sighed as she turned to her son. "What are we gonna do to let Daddy know everything is going to be all right, huh?"

Lois glanced at her engagement ring, feeling farther than ever from that happy moment when Clark had proposed. _"Part of believing that we are meant to be together, no matter what pushes us forward - or holds us back - is acknowledging that bond, that love between us. Lois, this ring isn't an obligation, but a promise. It represents us, that we belong to each other - in the past, present - and future."_

"We _do _belong together, Smallville," she whispered. "I'll find a way to help you through this."

Lois found herself staring out at the clouds, the storm a metaphor for the trauma they had all gone through these last few weeks. A tear slipped down her cheek, wishing they could reclaim the happiness, the joy they'd felt at the prospect of getting married.

She realized she was getting lost in her thoughts, and shook her head, turning back to her son. She let out a surprised gasp, as little Joel was floating above the changing table! Lois had thought she'd seen him do that once before, but she had almost forgotten about it in the madness since the wedding.

Lois didn't reach for him at first, fascinated by just watching him. She felt the urge to call for Clark to come upstairs and see this, but tampered it down, fearing it might upset him more than comfort him. Flying was the one power that Clark hadn't mastered, and to see his son do it while he was still without his powers – Lois feared it would devastate him.

She eventually reached out for her son, who smiled up at her and made happy baby noises. "You're just so proud of yourself, aren't you, little one?" she laughed. "As much as I know Daddy would be proud of you too, do you think you can keep this under wraps for a bit… at least until he gets his powers back?"

~L&C~

Chloe burst into the kitchen, drenched from the downpour outside, but a huge grin on her face.

"Clark! Where's Lois? You all have got to see what's happening!" she said excitedly, making a beeline for the TV, heedless of the water she was dripping on the carpet.

Lois popped around the corner a moment later, with Joel in her arms. "What's going on?"

"This!" Chloe said, pointing to the TV. "Clark, can you turn it up?"

_"General Slade Wilson has been court-martialed today on accounts of torture in Afghanistan and more recently, through his involvement with the VRA. General Sam Lane gave testimony…_

_"I had heard rumors about General Wilson's practices in Afghanistan, but it wasn't until I had photographic evidence of how he wants to treat the vigilantes that I've decided to withdraw my support for the VRA and have formally filed charges against General Slade Wilson for torture, violation of the Geneva Conventions, as well as violation of honorable protocols for armed servicemen."_

Lois, Clark, and Chloe huddled around the television, watching as the cameras panned to General Wilson in handcuffs. Lois laid a hand on Clark's shoulder. "See? Justice is served today, Clark. Just like my dad promised."

Clark nodded, though he seemed unconvinced. "This is all well and good, Lois, but the fact remains that evil is still out there…"

Chloe turned to Clark. "Wait, so I wasn't high that night I heard that weird—whatever?" she asked with a flick of her fingers.

"No, you were right, Chloe. While I was being tortured by Slade, I saw this omega symbol on his forehead, like the mark of—"

"—the Beast, in Revelations," Chloe finished for him slowly and Clark nodded in answer.

"We've got to tell the Team about this, so they understand the larger war we're fighting," said Lois. "Slade Wilson may be taken care of, but who knows how many are out there."

Clark sighed. "Yes, we need to tell them… but first, I need to get my powers back." Clark turned away from the girls, his gaze once more drawn to the storm outside.

Chloe turned to Lois. "But he is getting better, isn't he?"

Lois shrugged, unconsciously seeking out the engagement ring on her finger, as she settled Joel on her hip. "Physically, I guess so. But he's worried about his powers. I'm afraid he's getting lost, stressing about it. And I need him—we all do, but I—I miss him."

Chloe gave her cousin a sympathetic glance. "He'll be okay, Lois. He just needs some time."

Lois turned to the TV, as an announcer spoke, the image frozen on General Wilson. "Time may be in short supply."

"And how's Joel?"

Lois glanced at Clark, whose back was still turned to them, and she pulled her cousin closer to her. "I caught him floating, Chloe."

"What? Really? Have you told Clark?" Chloe asked excitedly. "That's amazing!" Then seeing Lois' worried expression, Chloe's excitement dimmed. "What is it?"

"As relieved and excited that Joel will apparently have Clark's powers—" Lois sighed. "I can't tell him. Not now, not when he's like this, and worried about his own powers."

Chloe picked up the giraffe that slipped out of Joel's grasp. "Lois, he might figure it out anyways… I mean, if he sees Joel doing something- he'll know."

"Yeah, I know… but, I don't want to tell him yet. He needs to get his powers back first."

Chloe threw up her hands in surrender. "Fine. I'm not about to get in the middle of you two. Just… don't keep it from him too long. He'll be proud of Joel, no matter what he's going through personally."

"I suppose so."

~L&C~

Later that afternoon, while Clark was putting Joel down for a nap, Lois stepped out onto the porch. A light rain was falling, and the distant roll of thunder made the atmosphere feel alive with energy.

Lois sat on the porch swing and closed her eyes, listening to the soothing sound of rain pounding on the roof above her.

It had been an emotional day. The news coverage of General Slade Wilson's court-martial had satisfied Lois' sense of justice, and she wrote up a preliminary article that she would turn in tomorrow, after she had an 'interview' with her father that evening on the phone for some quotes. But Clark was moody and restless, wanting to do something about this darkness he kept alluding to. Lois understood Clark's desire to save the world, but she knew he needed healing in himself first – both physically and emotionally.

She knew he loved her, but she didn't think they could move on just yet.

Lois had to find a way to reach him – whether or not Clark got his powers back.

Clark suddenly popped his head around the front door, a smile on his face – the first she'd seen since the wedding.

"Hey," he said softly, coming to sit next to her on the porch swing.

"Hey yourself," she said playfully, nudging him.

"I was upstairs with Chloe, changing Joel when—" he grinned, ear to ear, and it was like the sun had broken through the clouds.

Lois held her breath, both in awe of how much she loved him, and anticipating what he may have seen.

"When…?" she prodded.

Clark sighed. "I don't know when or even if I'll get my powers back… but Joel… Lois, he can float," he said, wonder tinging his words. "I may have learned as a teenager how to shoot fire from my eyes, use my freeze breath and micro-vision—"

"Micro-vision?" Lois questioned with a laugh.

Clark shrugged sheepishly. "Hey, it's my power. I can call it what I want… anyway, I could do all those things…."

Lois noted his use of the past tense, but reached for his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, urging him to continue.

"But my son, less than a year old, mind you," he said proudly. "Will be able to _fly_. Maybe even before he's out of diapers!"

"Okay, let's not go all alpha-dad, here…" Lois laughed. Then she turned pensive, worrying about what she had said to Chloe earlier. "But, you really think it's a good thing, don't you?"

Clark pulled her in closer to his embrace, the rain falling in a soft mist across the farm. "Lois, it means my heritage—though I'm not sure I like that word—but the part of who I am that makes me the Blur, will live on. Even if I never get my powers back, I know that I can explain things to my son that my parents couldn't. And that, is exciting and special to me."

Lois sighed, snuggling in close to his chest. "I saw him do it too. But I was worried about telling you. I'm sorry, Clark."

He kissed her forehead, pulling her closer into his embrace. "I know you were trying to protect me. It's okay, Lois."

"Just seeing you, when Dad brought you home… I just want you to be okay. Even if you don't get your powers back, I just need Smallville back," she said, sitting up to lay a hand gently on his chest.

She noticed, too late, that it was her hand with her engagement ring that was splayed possessively on his chest. They had avoided talking about the wedding since Joel's kidnapping, and now that Clark was so unsure about himself, Lois worried about what else he might be unsure about.

Her eyes met his, and she almost pulled her hand away, but his settled over hers. "Lois, I haven't forgotten," he said tenderly. "We will get married… in fact, I dream of it all the time."

"You do?" relief clear in her voice.

"Lois, don't you know what you mean to me?" he asked incredulously. "If I didn't have you, I don't know how I would have made it out of that cell… I just—need time. To either get my powers back, or—to deal with my new reality."

"Smallville," she said sweetly, her eyes meeting his. "I'll be there for you every step of the way. No matter what. That promise," she glanced at her ring, "was made when I put this on."

"Lois—" he began, but instead pulled her into his embrace, kissing her sweet lips as the rain stopped, and the clouds parted, the sun spilling out across the fields in a golden yellow.

**End of Book Two**


	11. Update!

First part of Hidden Joys has been published!


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